Son of a Parisian merchant, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot originally intended to adopt his father's trade. However, he began to study art under Michallon and Bertin, who both influenced Corot's classically inspired landscapes. Corot traveled throughout Europe in the summer, sketching landscapes that he painted during the winters in Paris. He used this source material, as well as early photography to create his distinctive blurred style of landscapes.