Catching frogs

Barthélémy Menn's Catching Frogs (c. 1840-1847) captures a scene of rustic childhood play that reflects both the Romantic idealization of rural life and the Swiss painter's commitment to direct observation of nature. Menn, who studied under Ingres in Paris and was profoundly influenced by Corot's plein air landscapes, brought a distinctly French painterly sensibility back to Geneva, where he became the city's most influential art teacher. His genre scenes set in natural landscapes demonstrate the Barbizon-influenced approach that he championed over the more rigid academic traditions of Swiss painting.

Menn's technique shows the influence of both Corot and Ingres in its combination of atmospheric landscape painting with precisely drawn figures, creating a harmonious integration of figure and setting through subtle tonal values and natural light.