e frolic. So much are we in sympathy with those merry ones that we
too find ourselves unconsciously urging her to join in the dance.

When he painted trees, Corot did not pay very great attention to
details, and so we cannot always tell what kind of trees they were. He
cared most to make us feel the beauty of the sunlight on their tender
leaves, their growth, and the protection they offer to birds and men.

A young art student once approached Corot and asked him why he left so
many things out of his pictures and put others in. Then pointing to a
certain tree in Corot's painting he said, "This tree is not in the
landscape." Corot smiled, then whispered to him, "Don't you tell, but
I put it there to please the birds."

It would be difficult indeed to find a single straight line in our
picture, so full is it of rhythmic curves, from the treetops to the
graceful figures in the foreground. The skillful blending of colors,
of light and shade, gives it that mysterious, misty quality which is
one of its chief charms. Corot's favorite colors were pale green, gray
browns, and silvery grays. One little touch of bright color in his
pictures makes them alive. The costumes of the nymphs were chosen for
the very few bright touches in this painting, and the tall, slender
tree near the left-hand side of the picture for the pale green
feathery foliage of early spring.

Our eye moves pleasantly through all the leafy maze of this enchanted
forest. We are at the edge of the woods. Looking out through the trees
we see the wide, open fields beyond, with their high canopy of sky,
and we feel a new contentment steal over us as our eye again seeks
this sheltered nook in the great Forest of Fontainebleau.

=Questions to help the pupil understand the picture.= How had the
artist, Corot, studied the clouds, sky, and trees? With whom did he
become friends? What were these three young artists doing? Where did
they go for an outing? What did they take with them? What forest did
they decide would be a good place to spend a vacation? How did they
live in this forest? What shelter did they have? What nickname did
they give Corot? How did he like to paint? How did he dress? What did
he do while painting? Where was this picture painted? What is it
sometimes called? What time of day did he usually start out to paint?
What are the nymphs doing? What did Corot wish to tell us about the
trees? What did a young art student once ask Corot? What was the
an