Farm in Winter (Une ferme en hiver) 

Alphonse Legros created this etching, "Farm in Winter," during a period of significant social upheaval in France. Born into a working-class family and intimately familiar with rural life, Legros often depicted the realities of peasant existence, marked by hard labor and a close connection to the land. In "Farm in Winter," the stark, bare trees and the humble buildings evoke a sense of isolation and resilience against the harshness of nature. Legros’s choice of etching emphasizes the starkness and the somber mood. This challenges idealized rural depictions. The absence of people accentuates the solitude and the quiet dignity of the scene. Legros himself said that he sought to capture "the simple poetry of everyday life," a sentiment clearly reflected in this unadorned portrayal of a winter landscape. The scene evokes both a sense of melancholy and a deep respect for the enduring spirit of those who live and work on the land. The way the scene is composed, it really emphasizes how the landscape shapes and reflects societal issues.