De grot

In this painting, the entrance to a dark cave can be seen, with bare trees alongside, a snowy foreground and, above this wintery landscape, a dark-grey sky. The work is in a subdued palette of greens and greys. Gustave Courbet painted many landscapes of this kind. He often went out into the nature of his native region of Franche Comté in search of inspiration. Courbet occupies a unique position with his choice to paint realistic landscapes and subjects from everyday life on large-format canvases, which had previously been reserved for history painting. His work bridges the gap between the Romantic movement, with painters such as Géricault and Delacroix, and the Barbizon School and the Impressionists. For Courbet, his own experience formed the starting point of his work. He developed this work in his own studio, unlike the later Impressionists, who worked ‘en plein air’ (in the open air).