The Little Communicant (La petite communiante) 1848 - 1884

"The Little Communicant" (1848-1884) is a graphite drawing by French artist Jules Bastien-Lepage. The drawing portrays a young girl in a white dress and veil, a traditional attire for first communion, sitting with her hands clasped in her lap. Her expression is serious and contemplative, a testament to the solemn nature of the event and the innocence of youth. The artwork, now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, exemplifies Bastien-Lepage's penchant for realism and his attention to detail in capturing the everyday life of rural France.