Grape Picking 1912

Henri Doucet created this oil painting, Grape Picking, of modest size, sometime before his death in 1915. Immediately we see the artist’s dynamic brushwork, which articulates the figures and the background in short strokes that define the forms and objects. Compositionally, the painting is divided into two main sections: the upper part, dominated by a woman standing on a chair and picking grapes, and the lower part, featuring a seated figure with a basket. The limited palette of grays and whites contributes to the somber mood, yet the active brushstrokes create a sense of movement and energy. The shapes are simplified, almost abstracted, hinting at an engagement with early modernist aesthetics. Doucet challenges conventional representation by flattening the picture plane and reducing the illusion of depth. This stylistic choice, combined with the limited color range, emphasizes the formal qualities of the painting—line, shape, and texture—over realistic depiction. The focus is not merely on the subject but on the act of painting itself.