Women Picking Grass
1890
Camille Pissarro, the only artist to exhibit in all eight Impressionist exhibitions, turns his eye to rural labor in this charming scene. Three women bend over a rolling hillside, gathering grass into woven baskets, their forms defined by rhythmic, sketchy lines that give the piece a storybook quality. Unlike his famous oil paintings of bustling Paris boulevards, this work highlights his deep empathy for the working class and the countryside. The distinct, graphic style suggests he was experimenting with printmaking, proving his artistic range went far beyond just canvas and oil.