The Pond (La Mare)

• Théodore Rousseau (1812–1867)
• 1855
• Oil on wood
• Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
• (1975.1.205)

In 1855, Théodore Rousseau reached the height of his career, when an entire room at the Paris World’s Fair was devoted to his work. In this painting, a woman and three cows approach a shaded pond surrounded by dense greenery and rocky outcroppings. Golden sunlight filters through the treetops, while a narrow strip of pale green fields stretches along the horizon. Clouds drifting across the blue sky are softly reflected in the water, evoking the serene beauty of nature.