Forêt de Compiègne

Morisot painted the Forest of Compiègne in 1885. Her landscape interest preceded the Impressionist exhibitions: meeting Corot in 1861 encouraged outdoor work. In this later canvas, free coloured strokes assemble woodland space while remaining visible beside recognizable trunks.

A large light trunk stands just right of centre. Blue and cream passages distinguish it from greenish ground. Uneven edges sometimes merge with the surroundings. It provides a near spatial anchor while many smaller forms remain less definite.

Several slender trunks are cut by the left edge, emphasizing proximity. Morisot varies the intervals rather than arranging trees in uniform rows. Repeated verticals remain part of an asymmetrical, irregular woodland space.

Trunks at the right grow thinner, with some nearly transparent passages suggesting recession. Detail does not increase mechanically towards the foreground. Clearer and less defined forms are distributed so that our eyes move between them, gradually assembling the woodland.

Broad green, ochre and pinkish strokes fill the ground. They move in different directions and seldom resolve into individual leaves or grass. Brushwork remains visible even where object contours nearly disappear, making the painted surface itself a significant part of looking.

Light openings alternate with dark green marks in the distance. None becomes an open horizon; we remain among trees. The restricted view makes small changes of illumination important within a palette that might initially appear uniformly green.

Morisot participated in seven of the eight Impressionist exhibitions and helped sustain the group. The National Gallery notes contemporary recognition of her handling alongside gendered critical stereotypes. This woodland view lets us assess her actual decisions: varied paint density, open contours and the construction of depth.