Potato Harvest 1885

Camille Pissarro's *Potato Harvest* offers a glimpse into rural life through the eyes of an Impressionist, capturing a scene of labor that speaks to the realities of the working class in 19th-century France. Here, two women are depicted bent over the earth, deeply engaged in the physical act of harvesting potatoes. The choice to portray female laborers is significant; it brings into focus the often-unseen contributions of women to the agricultural economy and challenges the conventional representation of women in art, often depicted as objects of leisure rather than subjects of labor. Pissarro's work can be interpreted as a commentary on social class, gender, and the dignity of labor. "It is only by drawing often, drawing everything, drawing incessantly, that one fine day you discover, to your surprise, that you have rendered something in its true character," said Pissarro. Through his commitment to portraying the world around him, Pissarro invites us to reflect on the lives and labor that sustain society, and the beauty inherent in everyday existence.