The Crossroads of the Eagle’s Nest, Fontainebleau Forest

Daubigny and his fellow artists in the Barbizon School painted the French countryside, especially around the village of Barbizon in northern France. He would hike in, set up his paints and canvas, and get to work. The Eagle's Nest was a scenic spot—once home to an eagle—on the outskirts of Barbizon in the Forest of Fontainebleau, a wild preserve similar to an American national park. This painting shows how Daubigny studied the forest—its foliage and light—to sensitively portray its natural beauty.