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Narcisse-Virgilio Diaz de la Peña, 'Common with Stormy Sunset', 1850

About the work

A small dark silhouetted figure sits fishing at the edge of a pool. The location is almost certainly near the village of Barbizon in the forest of Fontainebleau. This is an early example of Diaz’s numerous paintings of watery plains with solitary fishermen, dominant trees standing out against dramatic skies, and light reflected in water. The composition and light effects of these works show the influence of Théodore Rousseau, whom Diaz famously followed into the forest of Fontainebleau in around 1836 to observe how he painted.

In the sky, darker grey clouds hint at a passing storm, and strong sloping strokes on the horizon at the left suggest rainfall. The horizon at the right is clearer, the feathery outlines of bushes standing out against a pale grey. In general, the paint is thickly applied, but in some areas the paint layers and ground have been scraped back to reveal the warm colour of the wood panel itself.

Key facts

Full title
Common with Stormy Sunset
Artist
Narcisse-Virgilio Diaz de la Peña
Artist dates
1807 - 1876
Date made
1850
Medium and support
oil on wood
Dimensions
37.1 × 54.6 cm
Inscription summary
Signed
Acquisition credit
Salting Bequest, 1910
Inventory number
NG2633
Location
Not on display
Collection
Main Collection

About this record

If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.

More works by Narcisse-Virgilio Diaz de la Peña

Cows at a Pool
Cows at a Pool
Narcisse-Virgilio Diaz de la Peña
A group of four cows drink at a pool set in a flat grassy plain. A few trees are dotted on the horizon. The cows form a focal point in the composition, their warm brown and ochre tones creating a contrast with the surrounding landscape. The sky is overcast yet the plain itself is painted in fresh...
Not on display
Sunny Days in the Forest
Sunny Days in the Forest
Narcisse-Virgilio Diaz de la Peña
Two women gather sticks by a watery clearing in front of a group of trees. The trees are arranged in an arc, with the most prominent left of centre and the others set back on each side. The composition, which shows the influence of Théodore Rousseau, is typical of those used by Diaz in his views...
Not on display
The Storm
The Storm
Narcisse-Virgilio Diaz de la Peña
This landscape, imbued with strong natural and dramatic effects, is typical of Diaz’s late work. The view is across the desolate heathlands near the village of Barbizon. The combination of the dominant stormy sky with its mass of grey clouds and the bleak plain conjures up the terrors of a storm...
Not on display
Venus and Two Cupids
Venus and Two Cupids
Narcisse-Virgilio Diaz de la Peña
In a vaguely wooded setting a woman traditionally identified as Venus sits with two naked cupids pressing into her lap from either side. The whole is very rapidly and thickly painted. Venus’s skirt is painted in thick strokes of pinks and whites swirled together, with dashes of red-brown helping...
On display elsewhere