Before he fell under the influence of Rousseau and followed him into the forest of Fontainebleau, Diaz decorated porcelain and painted sentimental figures. In Fontainebleau, he shifted his focus to the wild, untouched parts of the forest, recognizing that nature contained a drama of its own. Diazʼs commercial success as a landscape painter allowed him to extend aid to fellow Barbizon artists like Millet and Rousseau.
Patricia Mainardi has identified the tree in this view as Le Rageur (the Raging One), a revered oak in the forest of Fontainebleau that inspired artists and writers throughout the nineteenth century until its collapse in 1904.
Cohen, Karen B., former owner.
Patricia Mainardi, "Romanticism's Avatar: Le Rageur of the Forest of Fontainebleau," Nineteenth-Century Art Worldwide 23, no. 2 (Autumn 2024)