Artwork
Study of Two Women, One Seated and One Holding a Basket
Study of Two Women, One Seated and One Holding a Basket is a graphite drawing by the Impressionist artist Léon Augustin Lhermitte. It dates from 1879 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
The painting is titled Study of Two Women, One Seated and One Holding a Basket.
It was created in 1879 by Lhermitte, Léon Augustin. The artist used a combination of graphite and white gouache on blue-gray laid paper. This mix of media is interesting because it allows for both detailed lines and opaque white highlights.
You can learn more about this style by looking into the movement: Realism.
Overview
Study of Two Women, One Seated and One Holding a Basket is a drawing created in 1879 by French artist Léon Augustin Lhermitte, executed in graphite and white gouache on blue-gray laid paper.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing depicts two women engaged in everyday activities: one seated, the other holding a basket. The scene conveys a sense of quiet, mundane life, characteristic of Realist themes focusing on ordinary people and settings.
Technique & Style
Lhermitte combined graphite for detailed lines with white gouache for opaque highlights on a blue-gray paper base. This media blend allowed for contrasting textures and values, enhancing the drawing's depth and visual interest, aligning with Realist attention to observational detail.
History & Provenance
Created in 1879, specific details about the drawing's original commission, exhibition history, or early ownership are not provided in available information.
Context
Emerging within the Realist movement, this work reflects Lhermitte's alignment with artists who sought to portray everyday life truthfully, moving away from romanticized or idealized subjects prevalent in earlier art movements.
Legacy
As a representative of late 19th-century Realism, Study of Two Women contributes to the broader legacy of the movement, though its individual impact or influence on subsequent art practices is not prominently distinguished in the provided context.
Artist & collection
![Studies of Peasants [verso], by John Singer Sargent](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/john-singer-sargent--studies-of-peasants-verso--8cb9afaeacce3227-w320.webp)
