Unknown_Corot-2012

1 . Valley of Montmorency, seen from Saint-Prix , c. 1820–24

Graphite on paper 7 ½ x 10 ¼ inches ( 19 x 26 cm) Inscribed verso: Saint-Prix, vallée de Montmorency

Private Collection

This drawing has recently been attributed to Corot on the basis of its technique and the inscription on the verso. Many aspects of this charming sheet point to a very early date. The naïve perspective of the buildings in the landscape, the intensely rectilinear composition, and almost literal attention to details of execution probably place the work no later than 1822 , when Corot received his first formal training in the studio of Michallon. Located 15 kilometers north of Paris, the village of Saint-Prix dominates the valley of Montmorency in the region of the Oise.