Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot

Pensive Young Woman (Jeune femme pensive)

1855–1860
Oil on panel (later mounted to plywood)
31.8 × 23.7 cm (12.5 × 9.3 in)

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● On view now — Collection Gallery, Room 06, East Wall

Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia · verified July 2026

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FROM THE BARNES FOUNDATION’S CATALOG

While landscapes had become a more lucrative endeavor, Corot continued to paint figures in the studio, mostly out of pure enjoyment. He dressed his Parisian models in Greek or Italianate costumes, infusing them with mystery and melancholy. With their simple backgrounds and limited color palette, the majority of his figure paintings speak to a lyrical past rather than a modern moment.

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