Peasant Woman in the Forest

Díaz, an orphan from a Spanish immigrant family, was influenced by Romanticism and Orientalism, initially painting genre scenes and mythological subjects. An encounter with Théodore Rousseau led him to shift his focus to landscape painting, characterized by a deep, rich palette. This painting features a lone oak tree at the center, with a brightly lit plain visible in the distance on the left. Flanking the tree are a large rock and a peasant woman, creating a well-balanced triangular composition. Díaz excelled at incorporating tiny figures into forest settings, crisply accenting the picture while conveying the vast expanse of nature. The intricate brushwork used to render the leaves, and the depiction of fading light, subsequently influenced the Impressionists. (M.N.)