Arbre dans la forêt de Fontainebleau (Tree in the forest of Fontainebleau) 1840/1849 London Victoria and Albert Museum How such an exquisite painting of a tree could be seen as revolutionary is difficult to comprehend nowadays. Théodore Rousseau was one of the "Barbizon" painters who preferred natural scenes to the idealised landscapes and history paintings of the Academy. Rather than making the grand tour of Italy, he travelled round different regions of France, finally settling in the village of Barbizon two minutes' walk from the forest of Fontainebleau. La Mare au Chêne (The Oak Pond) 1860-65 Cherbourg, Thomas-Henry Museum, on loan to Musée d'Orsay Rousseau was inspired by John Constable's works, exhibited in 1824 in Paris. Rousseau's colours are similar to the English artist's in this bucolic scene: L'Abreuvoir (The drinking fountain) 1850-60 Oil on wood. Reims, Musée des Beaux Arts During his personal 'grand tour', Rousseau portrayed ...