He is often claimed to be the greatest of the American Impressionists, and with several thousand paintings to his name he was certainly among the most prolific.
Barbizon
He never aspired to be an impressionist, but painted many works plein air, with loose brushwork, and conveying impressions.
Today, many consider him to be the father of American landscape painting.
There are several uncanny parallels with the Impressionists, including the importance of the tache and plein air painting, early critical hostility followed later by acceptance, and of course the tragic deaths of Sernesi and Bazille in war.
A superb plein air painting of this scene on the River Tiber is part of the foundation that Corot laid for Impressionism.
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