The Gleaners
- Original dimensions
- 81 x 66 cm
- Museum
- Kunstmuseum Basel
- Year
- 1889
Scene depicted
In this canvas , Pissarro pays tribute to the gleaners, those hardworking women who collect the last ears of grain left after the harvest. The painting immerses us in the ardor of the fields, where the struggle for survival reveals a poignant beauty and deep humanity, capturing tenderness and resilience in the face of adversity.
Historical context
Created in 1889, this painting emblematic of Camille Pissarro is part of the Impressionist movement that shaped the end of the 19th century. Located in Basel, Switzerland, the work resonates with the social history of the time, where gleaners, forgotten figures of the rural world, found themselves in the fields devastated by the harvest. Currently, this canvas is displayed at the Kunstmuseum, one of the most important museums in the region, revealing its generous dimensions of 81 x 66 cm.
Place in the artist's career
This canvas marks a turning point in Pissarro's career, where he abandons the dead ends of realism to embrace the nuances of Impressionism . Through works such as “The Place du Théâtre Français” and “The Harvest of Apples” that surround it, Pissarro shows a technical evolution towards free expression, placing his work at the crossroads of artistic paths.
Anecdote
“Capturing the light and the soul of the humble is my entire quest,” Pissarro might have said while painting this masterpiece . Imagine a spring morning, the cries of birds mingling with the murmurs of workers in the fields, a light breeze carrying the scent of freshly plowed earth. These fleeting moments thus came to life in his painting .