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    Unruly Nature: The Landscapes of Théodore Rousseau

    June 21–September 11, 2016

    Getty Center

    Mont Blanc Seen from La Faucille, Storm Effect

    Mont Blanc Seen from La Faucille, Storm Effect, begun 1834, Théodore Rousseau, oil on canvas. Courtesy of Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen, MIN1783. Photographer: Ole Haupt

  • The Old Park of St. Cloud

    The Old Park of St. Cloud, about 1831–32, Théodore Rousseau, oil on canvas. Courtesy of the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa. Purchased 1977. Photo © NGC

  • Evening (The Parish Priest)

    Evening (The Parish Priest), 1842–43, Théodore Rousseau, oil on panel. Courtesy of the Toledo Museum of Art, Gift of Arthur J. Secor, 1933.37. Photo: Chris Ridgway

  • Edge of the Forest, Sun Setting

    Edge of the Forest, Sun Setting, about 1845–46, Théodore Rousseau, oil on canvas. Courtesy of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, purchased with funds provided by the William Randolph Hearst Collection by exchange. Image: www.lacma.org

  • Climbing Path, Forest of Fontainebleau

    Climbing Path, Forest of Fontainebleau, about 1848–50, Théodore Rousseau, graphite, watercolor, and gouache on paper. Courtesy of a private collection. Photo courtesy of the Jill Newhouse Gallery

  • A Swamp in Les Landes

    A Swamp in Les Landes, about 1846, Théodore Rousseau, oil on panel. Courtesy of the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, Maryland, 37.991

  • Brook in the Forest of Fontainebleau

    Brook in the Forest of Fontainebleau, 1849, Théodore Rousseau, oil and pencil on panel. Courtesy of the Mesdag Collection, The Hague

  • Morning Effect

    Morning Effect, about 1850, Théodore Rousseau, oil on canvas. Courtesy of the Norton Simon Foundation, Pasadena

  • Forest of Fontainebleau, Cluster of Tall Trees Overlooking the Plain of Clair-Bois at the Edge of Bas-Bréau

    Forest of Fontainebleau, Cluster of Tall Trees Overlooking the Plain of Clair-Bois at the Edge of Bas-Bréau, about 1849–52, Théodore Rousseau, oil on canvas. The J. Paul Getty Museum

  • The Great Oaks of Bas Bréau

    The Great Oaks of Bas-Bréau, 1864, Théodore Rousseau, oil on canvas. Courtesy of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, museum purchase funded by the Agnes Cullen Arnold Endowment Fund. Image courtesy of Bridgeman Images

  • Winter Landscape

    Winter Landscape, about 1855–65, Théodore Rousseau, pen and brown ink on paper. Courtesy of a private collection. Photo courtesy of Jill Newhouse Gallery

  • Landscape with Cottage

    Landscape with Cottage, about 1865, Théodore Rousseau, watercolor with crayon over graphite on beige laid paper. Courtesy of the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, Maryland, 37.966

  • View of Mont Blanc, Seen from La Faucille

    View of Mont Blanc, Seen from La Faucille, about 1863–67, Théodore Rousseau, oil on canvas. Courtesy of the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Putnam Dana McMillan Fund. Photo: Minneapolis Institute of Art

Unruly Nature: The Landscapes of Théodore Rousseau

June 21–September 11, 2016, Getty Center

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Théodore Rousseau (1812–1867) was one of the leading figures of French landscape in the mid-19th century. A restless and obsessive artist with a keen eye and a passionate love of nature, he dramatically expanded the vocabulary of landscape expression a generation before the emergence of Impressionism, matching the natural diversity of his native country with an extraordinary range of style and technique.

Bringing together more than seventy paintings and drawings, this major international loan exhibition explores the tremendous variety of Rousseau’s work, revealing him to be one of the most exciting, experimental, and unruly artists of his day.

The exhibition has been co-organized by the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles and the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen.

RELATED EVENTS

COMMUNITY PARTNER EVENT
Mozart, Weber and Schumann

Conductor Nicholas McGegan leads the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a program of music inspired by the personal taste of Théodore Rousseau, a true “mélomane,” or music lover. Videos made in collaboration with the J. Paul Getty Museum will provide insight into the artist’s relationship with the music that fired the passions of his Romantic generation.
Thursday, August 18, 8:00 p.m.
Hollywood Bowl

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TALKS
Théodore Rousseau: “The Sun of a Small Creation”

Offering a behind-the-scenes look into the development of Unruly Nature: The Landscapes of Théodore Rousseau, paintings curator Scott Allan considers how his evolving thinking about this fascinating 19th-century artist shaped the exhibition and informed its installation design.
Thursday, June 23, 7:00 p.m.
Getty Center: Museum Lecture Hall

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“The Great Landscape Painter of our Time”: Théodore Rousseau and the Imaging of 19th-Century France

Simon Kelly, curator of modern and contemporary art at the St. Louis Art Museum, explores Rousseau’s central position in 19th-century French landscape painting. Kelly questions the dominant narrative of plein-air naturalism surrounding his work, instead arguing for a more complex view of an artist producing deeply meditated imagery, drawing on a broad range of interests that includes literature, music, and philosophy. Kelly also places Rousseau’s output within the context of the Barbizon artistic colony which included his close friend, Jean-François Millet.
Sunday, August 21, 2:00 p.m.
Getty Center: Museum Lecture Hall

COURSES
Studio Workshop: The Inspired Landscape

Discover the beauty and power of the Romantic landscape in this daylong workshop with artist Richard Houston. Participants will use both watercolor and dry media to investigate the technical and stylistic innovations inspired by French artist Théodore Rousseau and the Romantic movement of the 19th century. The day culminates with a plein air session in the Getty’s Central Garden. Course fee $125 (includes materials and lunch). Complimentary parking.
Sunday, July 24, 10:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Getty Center: Museum Studios

The Art of Drawing Trees

Trees can provide structure, rhythm or a magnificent focal point in a landscape drawing. Explore the art of drawing trees individually and in the landscape with artist Deborah Shaw.
Sunday, July 17, 3:30–5:30 p.m.
Getty Center: Central Garden

Drawing from the Masters

Enjoy the tradition of sketching from original works of art every first and third Sunday of the month at the Getty Center. On July 17, explore the art of drawing trees individually and in the landscape with artist Deborah Shaw in conjunction with the exhibition Unruly Nature: Landscapes of Theodore Rousseau. Sign-up begins at 2:30 p.m. at the Information Desk. All experience levels welcome. This is a free program.

MOBILE TOURS

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While viewing the art of Théodore Rousseau, listen to music by composers who inspired him. Los Angeles Philharmonic guest conductor Nicholas McGegan curated this special GettyGuide playlist of works by Mozart, Schumann, Beethoven, and others. Maestro McGegan will conduct a special Rousseau-inspired concert with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl on Thursday, August 18, 2016.

A second tour highlights ten works in the exhibition and features commentary from curators Scott Allan and Édouard Kopp.

Free headphones and players are available at the GettyGuide Desk. Join GettyLink for free Wi-Fi during your visit.

PUBLICATION

Publications are available in the Getty Museum Store, by calling (310) 440-7333, or online at shop.getty.edu.

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