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The 1 Most Famous Émile Barau Paintings, a Gallery Selection
Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 1 works by Émile Barau in our catalogue
In short
Of all the originals Émile Barau left, the most famous is Summer Morning in Chenay (1896), in the collection of the Musee des Beaux-Arts, Reims. Our catalog holds 1 works by Émile Barau; the gallery has kept the 1 the world admires most, each shown with its date, its museum and its story.
1851 – 1930, Reims
Most works: Musee des Beaux-Arts
Émile Barau's top 10 paintings: the gallery's choice
The museums that keep Émile Barau's originals
The museum that holds the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Émile Barau | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Musee des Beaux-Arts |
Reims | 1 | Summer Morning in Chenay |
Émile Barau year by year: the originals that define each
1896 is the year of every dated Émile Barau work in this selection: here they are, ranked by fame.
Works per year
Pick a year to see its originals.
Collectors' questions about Émile Barau's paintings
Which work is Émile Barau most famous for?Reveal the answer
Summer Morning in Chenay (1896).
What age was Émile Barau when Summer Morning in Chenay was made?Reveal the answer
45 years old: Summer Morning in Chenay dates from 1896, and Émile Barau was born in 1851.
How many paintings did Émile Barau leave?Reveal the answer
Our catalog holds 1 works by Émile Barau.
In which museums do Émile Barau's masterpieces hang?Reveal the answer
Mostly in Musee des Beaux-Arts (Reims). The museum table above lists them all.
Émile Barau: life and work
The Son of a Merchant
Born in Reims, France, in 1851, Émile Barau did not begin his life among the easels and oils of a studio. He was the son of a cork merchant, and for many years, his hands were occupied with the family trade rather than the brush. It was only after his father passed away in 1872 that he turned fully toward his true calling. This transition from the practical world of commerce to the disciplined life of an artist marked the beginning of a long and steady career. He sought formal training at the École nationale des beaux-arts, studying under Eugen Jettel and Jean-Léon Gérôme, where he learned to translate the physical world onto canvas.
His early years were defined by a desire to capture the light and atmosphere of the landscapes he encountered. After completing his studies, he traveled far from his home in Reims, finding inspiration in the quiet corners of the Netherlands and Denmark. These travels expanded his vision, allowing him to bring a northern sensibility to his work, even as his heart remained tied to the French countryside.
A Life in Landscapes
Barau became a painter of the earth and the sky. He found his most profound expression in the Champagne region, where the rolling hills and local light became his constant companions. His work often focused on the quiet, everyday rhythms of rural life and the changing seasons. He was a man who looked closely at the way light fell across a field or how a village sat nestled in a valley.
His artistic output was marked by several key themes and locations:
- The landscapes of the Champagne region, particularly around Reims and the Suippe river.
- The coastal scenes and dunes of Skagen, Denmark.
- The quietude of autumn in Thuizy.
- The architectural and social details of village life, such as weavers and gardeners.
By 1888, his presence in the Parisian art scene was established when he was included in a group of thirty-three painters exhibited by the Galerie Georges Petit. This recognition helped solidify his reputation as a painter who could capture the essence of a place without artifice.
Legacy and Final Years
Throughout his life, Barau remained a painter of the landscape, a vocation he pursued with quiet dedication until his death in Neuilly-sur-Seine in 1930. His work remains held in significant collections, including the Musée des beaux-arts de Reims, which preserves many of his views of the Reims region. These paintings offer a window into a specific time and place, showing the textures of the French countryside as they were over a century ago.
Though he lived his final years in Neuilly, he chose to return to his roots for his final rest. He was buried in his native Reims, in the family vault, remaining connected to the soil that had inspired so much of his work.