Two Farm Women Kneeling c. mid to late 19th century

Camille Pissarro created this pencil sketch, titled 'Two Farm Women Kneeling,' at an unknown date. Pissarro was a committed anarchist who, in the late 19th century, lived amongst peasants in rural France. The image itself is a quick and unassuming study of working women. But, we might consider how the image engages in the politics of representation, and what the artist's social and political commitments might have had to do with it. How do the artist's choices normalize the representation of the working class? And to what extent does this aesthetic decision mirror his political ideas? Pissarro lived at a time of great social and political upheaval, and such images reflect a growing interest in the lives and experiences of ordinary people. To understand the social context of this drawing, scholars might consider how it sits alongside other representations of rural life in France at the time. They may also explore his association with anarchist circles. Through such research, the drawing becomes more than just a sketch, but also a window into the social and political landscape of 19th-century France.