Who painted Keeper of the Turkeys [Gardeuse de dindons]?

Keeper of the Turkeys [Gardeuse de dindons] was painted by Francesco Paolo Michetti in 1876.

Where can I see Keeper of the Turkeys [Gardeuse de dindons]?

Keeper of the Turkeys [Gardeuse de dindons] is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Keeper of the Turkeys [Gardeuse de dindons]?

Keeper of the Turkeys [Gardeuse de dindons] is associated with Impressionism.

Artwork

Keeper of the Turkeys [Gardeuse de dindons]

Francesco Paolo Michetti , 1876

Keeper of the Turkeys [Gardeuse de dindons] is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Francesco Paolo Michetti. It dates from 1876 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Francesco Paolo Michetti’s 1876 print, Keeper of the Turkeys (Gardeuse de dindons), is an etching executed on a copper plate before the addition of any textual elements. The work presents a single female figure cradling a turkey, with a second bird at her feet, set against a dense thicket rendered in loose, gestural lines.

Subject & Meaning

The composition captures a moment of rural labor, emphasizing the relationship between the woman and the domesticated birds. The tangled foliage surrounding her suggests a natural, perhaps untamed environment, while the woman’s careful grip on the turkey conveys both responsibility and the everyday realities of agrarian life.

Technique & Style

Michetti employed a traditional etching process, incising the image into a metal plate and allowing ink to fill the scratched lines.

Michetti employed a traditional etching process, incising the image into a metal plate and allowing ink to fill the scratched lines. The resulting prints display a grainy, sketch‑like quality, with rapid, uneven strokes that forgo precise edges in favor of a spontaneous, almost impressionistic texture. The piece remains a proof, lacking the final lettering that would typically accompany the finished edition.

History & Provenance

Created in the late nineteenth century, the work reflects Michetti’s interest in regional customs and folk subjects. As a proof before lettering, it offers insight into the artist’s preparatory stages. The print has been documented in several collections of Italian printmaking, though its exact ownership trail after its initial production remains limited in the public record.