The Stream (Le Ruisseau du Puits-Noir; vallée de la Loue)

1855

Oil on canvas, 104 × 137 cm. National Gallery of Art, Washington

A shaded stream in a rocky valley near Ornans, thought to be the first of several views of the site.

Shown at the 1855 Exposition Universelle.
Courbet laid on paint with a palette knife in irregular layers, the National Gallery notes.
Rough paint for rough rock: the handling itself feels like the place.

Image: National Gallery of Art, Washington · Public domain (NGA Open Access)