Tramps c. 1894

Camille Pissarro made this undated lithograph called 'Tramps'. It depicts two men resting by a river, evoking the difficult lives of the working class in late 19th-century France. Pissarro was deeply interested in the social realities around him, and he often depicted rural laborers and the urban poor. This image presents a glimpse into the lives of those marginalized by rapid industrialization and urbanization. The title itself, 'Tramps,' suggests a transient existence, and the men's weary postures convey the hardship of their daily lives. We can trace Pissarro’s anarchistic political convictions through his artworks, particularly the series of figure studies he produced late in life, and understand how the institutional structures of the art world often excluded such realities. To further understand Pissarro’s motivations, we need to look at the social and economic conditions of the time, as well as the artistic conventions he was challenging. By studying these contexts, we gain a deeper understanding of the image's meaning.