A Flood
- Artist: Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot
- Date: probably 1870-5
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is "A Flood" by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot. Painted in the late stages of his career, it's a typical example of his mature style. In the centre of the painting, you'll see a group of houses with steep gabled roofs surrounded by trees.
Notice how the silvery grey tonality dominates the entire scene, making it hard to distinguish between water and land. The use of colour is very restrained here, which was characteristic of Corot's work towards the end of his life. He often used reflections in rivers like this one to create a sense of ambiguity.
Corot typically painted the sky last, bringing it down over the roofs of the houses. In some cases, he even obscured entire rooftops with his brushstrokes. Take a look at that big silver birch trunk hovering above the trees on the right-hand side - it's been added quite late in the painting process.
The handling is very characteristic of Corot's style too, with thick paint used for the sky and thinner layers elsewhere. Overall, "A Flood" showcases the artist's ability to capture the subtleties of light and atmosphere in his work.
See it in person
A Flood hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
