Young Gleaner carrying a wreath 1897

Jules Breton’s drawing, ‘Young Gleaner carrying a wreath’ was made with graphite on paper. The use of graphite pencil, a relatively inexpensive and accessible material, lends itself to the depiction of everyday subjects and scenes. Breton uses delicate, linear strokes of graphite, to describe the figure of a young, female peasant gleaner. The drawing captures the texture and weight of the gathered wheat. Notice how the artist uses shading to emphasize the subject’s physique and clothing, highlighting the physical labor involved in gleaning, the act of collecting leftover crops from fields after harvest. This artwork also holds social significance as it depicts a working-class woman, who at the time was often marginalized in academic art. Breton's choice of graphite and paper further emphasizes the accessibility and democratic nature of his art, contrasting with the grandiosity of traditional fine art materials. The medium and technique used are very much tied to wider social issues of labor, politics, and consumption. It allows for a nuanced exploration of the lives of rural workers, blurring the lines between fine art and craft.