The Gleaners 1889

Camille Pissarro made this painting, 'The Gleaners', in France using oil on canvas. The image depicts rural workers gathering leftover crops from a field after the harvest. This was a traditional practice of the poor in Europe. We can consider it a form of informal social welfare. Here, Pissarro uses short brushstrokes and a bright palette, characteristic of Impressionism, to capture the light and atmosphere of the scene. However, the subject matter connects to Realism, which focused on everyday life, particularly of the working class. The history of art institutions often excluded such scenes. The Paris Salon, for instance, historically favored historical, mythological, and aristocratic subjects. By depicting gleaners, Pissarro challenges the norms of the art world and draws attention to the social realities of rural life in France at that time. The artist's political beliefs also influence the work, and this can be traced through historical documents, letters, and critical reviews of the time. These resources help to better understand the social consciousness of Pissarro and the cultural context.