Théodore Rousseau
The Rock Oak
1861
Physical Qualities
Etching on chine collé, Sheet: 183 x 269 mm. (7 3/16 x 10 9/16 in.)
Plate: 134 x 211 mm. (5 1/4 x 8 5/16 in.)
Credit Line
The George A. Lucas Collection, purchased with funds from the State of Maryland, Laurence and Stella Bendann Fund, and contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporations throughout the Baltimore community
Object Number
1996.48.3035
The Forest of Fontainebleau is celebrated not only for its
lush greenery but also for its distinctive limestone and
sandstone rock formations. Weathered boulders, rocky
outcrops, and dramatic gorges formed in this area over
millions of years of erosion. These sites became popular
destinations for tourists and hikers, as well as geologists
and naturalists. Artists including Théophile Chauvel and
Théodore Rousseau found inspiration in the beauty of the
rugged landscape and these traces of prehistoric weather.
While Rousseau’s etching incorporates the rock formations
as part of an ecosystem, Chauvel’s work draws attention to
their stark geometry through the play of natural light and
shadow on stone.
The Baltimore Museum of Art by purchase, 1996; The Maryland Institute College of Art,
through Henry Walters, Baltimore, by bequest 1909; from George A. Lucas, Paris
through Henry Walters, Baltimore, by bequest 1909; from George A. Lucas, Paris
Dr. Kurt Lederer, The Academy of the Arts, Easton, MD, "Barbizon Print Show," c. March 9 - April 9, 1964.
The Maryland Institute, Baltimore, Nov. 3 - 24, 1968.
The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Nature Revealed: Landscapes and Still Lifes from the George A. Lucas Collection," circulated to Government House, Annapolis, November 15, 2000-January 23, 2001.
The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, "The Road to Impressionism: Landscapes from Corot to Monet," October 3, 2004-January 8, 2005.
Sona Johnston, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "A View Toward Paris: The Lucas Collection of 19th-Century French Art," October 1, 2006-December 31, 2006.
Joanna Karlgaard and Robin Owen Joyce, BMA, "Deconstructing Nature: Environmental Transformation in the Lucas Collection," August 27, 2025 - January 11, 2026.
The Maryland Institute, Baltimore, Nov. 3 - 24, 1968.
The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Nature Revealed: Landscapes and Still Lifes from the George A. Lucas Collection," circulated to Government House, Annapolis, November 15, 2000-January 23, 2001.
The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, "The Road to Impressionism: Landscapes from Corot to Monet," October 3, 2004-January 8, 2005.
Sona Johnston, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "A View Toward Paris: The Lucas Collection of 19th-Century French Art," October 1, 2006-December 31, 2006.
Joanna Karlgaard and Robin Owen Joyce, BMA, "Deconstructing Nature: Environmental Transformation in the Lucas Collection," August 27, 2025 - January 11, 2026.
Inscribed: across bottom in plate: "Gazette des Beaux Arts. Imp. Delâtre Paris TH. Rousseau Mai 1861"
