Peasants in a Field of Beans (Paysannes dans un champ de haricots)
1891
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1891
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This etching shows two women in a field, bent over plants. Their clothes are dark and loose, blending into the shadows. The background is a simple line of trees and a faint horizon, with a cross faintly marked at the top. The artist used fine lines to show texture—notice how the women’s dresses and the bean plants look almost woven. This isn’t a polished painting but a sketchy, hand-drawn feel, which was a big shift at the time. Try looking up etching to see how artists like this made prints with acid and needles.
