Léon-Augustin Lhermitte (French, 1844-1925)
Wash Day on the Marne, 1890
Oil on canvas
39 x 55 3/4 inches
Gift of Nathan and Jessie Kimberly Paine
1946.10
A skilled draughtsman and painter of rural life, Léon-Augustin Lhermitte depicted peasants at work in the French countryside. Characterized by subtlety and grace, Lhermitte’s images of laborers focus on the quiet dignity of their work and reveal the artist’s compassion for their way of life. Known for the masterful way he integrated figures within the landscape, Lhermitte was praised by Vincent van Gogh as “the absolute master of the figure.”
Dating from 1890, Wash Day on the Marne illustrates Lhermitte’s mature style in which he blends the Barbizon tradition with the scintillating light and colorful palette of the Impressionists.