Dupres was a French landscape painter from Nantes. Although he painted some marine landscapes he favoured ones featuring trees. He was a member of the Barbizon School of Painting, a group of French painters who worked from the early 1830’s to the 1870’s and focus on landscapes. Dupres was particularly interested in bad weather, changes of light and sunsets. The Old Oak has all these elements; the low evening sun lighting the clouds, making them even darker while at the same highlighting the majestic oak in the center,
