Stream through the Forest

The Belgian De Cock undertook painting trips to France, becoming acquainted with several Barbizon artists, including Corot. He also ventured north to the Netherlands to paint. “He’s one of the few painters to have understood our Brabant,” Van Gogh wrote to his brother Theo, in appreciation of De Cock’s sensitive grasp of their native region. Though the precise location of this verdant view of a riverbank is now unknown, the contrast between the lush variety of textures in the shrubs and trees and the smooth reflections on the river’s surface is typical of his work.