Corot was born in 1796. His father was a draper and his mother was a fashionable milliner. Corot's life was entirely devoted to painting. With financial aid from his parents he travelled extensively and his first trip to Rome proved to be defining moment in his artistic life, where he painted studies from nature in and around Rome.
His landscapes attracted the attention of the Impressionists who invited him to exhibit in their first Exhibition. He completed over 3000 works. Much of his art, prints and posters depict scenes taken from his travels to France, Italy Switzerland and the Netherlands.
Often known as the first great modern landscapist, Corot painted directly from nature on small canvases. For most of his life Corot's work went unnoticed, but by 1855 his art, prints and posters were in great demand. He financially assisted many young and struggling artists and became affectionately known as Pere Corot. He died in Paris in February 1875 at the age of 79.