An early proponent of painting directly from nature, Huët was profoundly influenced by the realism of Constable and other British landscape painters. Upon seeing Constable’s work in the 1824 Paris Salon, Huët stated: “It was the first time perhaps that one felt the freshness, that one saw a luxuriant, verdant nature, without blackness, crudity or mannerisms.” His regard for the vibrancy of nature is apparent in these five sketches, each capturing a view of the forest near the château of Compiègne, north of Paris. From the 1830s onward, Huët exhibited frequently at the Paris Salon, where his work was admired by artists who flocked to the forests outside Paris, including Corot and Rousseau.

---