Woman Carrying a Pitcher on Her Head 1855

"Woman Carrying a Pitcher on Her Head" is an 1855 oil painting by Camille Pissarro depicting a Black woman walking through a rural landscape carrying a large clay pitcher on her head. The painting, currently in the E.G. Bührle Foundation in Zürich, Switzerland, reflects Pissarro's early interest in depicting everyday life and social realities. The woman's strong posture and the expressive brushstrokes lend a sense of dignity and strength to the subject, highlighting her role in the rural community. The landscape, rendered with a sense of realism, further contributes to the painting's social commentary, focusing on the daily lives of the working class. This work prefigures the social realist themes that would later become prominent in Pissarro's art.