Narcisse Virgile Diaz de la Peñaartist • painterBordeaux (Frankrijk) 1808-1876 Menton (Frankrijk)

The life of Narcisse Virgile Diaz de la Peña was very tragic. The artist, who was born in Spain, lost his parents at a young age, as a result of which he grew up in a foster family and he lost his leg as a result of an insect or snake bite. Diaz de la Peña started his artistic career at the age of 15 as a porcelain painter. Around 1837 he joined the School of Barbizon, named after the eponymous French town in the forests of Fontainebleau. Painters gathered here to depict landscapes and nature in a realistic way. Diaz de la Peña has made several paintings with wood gatherers in the wooded area of Fontainebleau. Also this Forest view with wood gatherer was probably painted around 1870 in this natural environment. Later, Diaz de la Peña added mythological figures to his landscapes.