School of Barbizon

The School of Barbizon was an influential group of 19th-century painters based in Barbizon, France. Active mainly from the 1830s to 1870s, they focused on realistic depictions of rural life and landscapes, rejecting the formal, idealized styles of academic art. Their approach emphasized natural light, outdoor scenery, and genuine scenes, pioneering techniques that influenced later Impressionists. The movement helped shift artistic focus toward capturing everyday life and nature’s beauty with authenticity, marking a significant step toward modern landscape painting.