Artwork
Peasant Woman
Peasant Woman is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Camille Pissarro. It dates from 1880 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower right: C.Pissarro.80
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work descended from the artist to his wife and then to his son before entering the collection of Chester Dale and, by bequest, the National Gallery of Art.
The painting presents a solitary woman rendered in oil on canvas, identified as a peasant figure within Pissarro's early portraiture. The work descended from the artist to his wife and then to his son before entering the collection of Chester Dale and, by bequest, the National Gallery of Art. The subject's modest attire and direct gaze suggest an emphasis on everyday labor rather than idealized representation, aligning with the artist's interest in the lives of rural laborers.
The composition underscores a realistic portrayal of a working woman, reflecting contemporary concerns with social visibility and dignity.
Technique & Style
Created in 1880, Peasant Woman is an oil painting on canvas measuring 73 cm in height and 60.4 cm in width. The work is classified as a portrait depicting a single female subject. The oil-on-canvas medium supports the handling characteristics typical of Camille Pissarro's practice during this period.
History & Provenance
Painted in 1880, the work descended by inheritance to the artist's wife, Julie Pissarro, and was later given to their son Georges Manzana-Pissarro. It was sold through Paul Rosenberg and Co. to Chester Dale on 17 April 1928, and upon Dale's death in 1962 it entered his bequest to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, in 1963. The painting is held by the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., with accession number 1963.10.143, as part of the Chester Dale Bequest.
Legacy
The painting entered the National Gallery of Art in 1963 through the bequest of Chester Dale, securing its place in a public collection that has since featured it in exhibitions and scholarly catalogues. Its provenance, from the artist's wife to his son and then to Dale, highlights a documented chain of ownership that underscores its significance within Pissarro's later works. As part of the Gallery's permanent holdings, the piece is regularly studied by art historians examining Impressionist portraiture and the depiction of rural labor, contributing to broader assessments of Pissarro's social realism and his influence on subsequent modernist approaches to genre painting.
Overview
Camille Pissarro's "Peasant Woman," an oil on canvas painting from 1880, presents a portrait of a lone female figure. This work exemplifies the artist's recurring interest in depicting individuals from the working class, offering a direct and unadorned glimpse into rural life. The composition focuses on the woman within her environment, capturing a moment of quiet engagement.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Peasant Girl with a Straw Hat
Ottilia
Sitzendes Mädchen im Grünen
Red-Headed Woman in the Garden of M. Foret
Puutarhatyttö
The Stroller (Suzanne Hoschedé, later Mrs. Theodore Earl Butler, 1868–1899)
Head of a Woman
Madame Cézanne in Blue
Washerwoman, Study
Lempi (Kuorsalosta)
Madame Alexandre Kohler- Peasant Woman in a Field