The Barbizon School of French landscape painting derived its named from Barbizon village in northern France, where most of the school's painters resided. This group of men lead by Theodore Rousseau rejected the classical landscape style and insisted upon direct study from nature. The leaders of the Barbizon school were Georges Michel, Theodore Rousseau, Jean-Francois Miller, and Corot. Considered part of French Realism, the movement was inspired by Constable who advocated making landscape painting a true rendering of nature.

The Barbizon school rejected the Academic tradition and theory in hopes of making a more accurate representation of the countryside. They were devoted to depicting the working class in their paintings, showing the lives of farmers, gravediggers, woodsmen, poachers, and other workers. Their paintings glorified the hard work and lives of their subjects. Some artists chose the subject for social and political reasons, while other simply admired the beauty of their subject. Most Barbizon School painters were rejected from the Paris Salons of their time and therefore were revolting against industrial society in their work. Courbet wished to fight for social justice. However, Millet did not wish to stir revolution but was mainly interested in the land and those who live in the countryside.