The Cabbage Field (Le Champ de choux) by Camille Pissarro, created in 1880, provides a fascinating glimpse into the artist's preparatory processes, existing as two closely related studies of the same agrarian subject. Classified as a drawing, the work utilizes distinct media: study (a) is rendered in graphite on wove paper, suggesting an initial compositional sketch or detailed observation of the scene; study (b) is executed using softground etching on wove paper, indicating Pissarro's intent to translate the linear composition into a reproducible print.
Pissarro was a master draughtsman and printmaker, often working sequentially from sketches to final editions. The softground technique, which involves laying a thin sheet of paper over a prepared plate and drawing on it, captures the spontaneous texture of the graphite, allowing the final print to retain the appearance of an original drawing. This focus on line quality and texture is characteristic of Pissarro’s approach during this period.
This piece belongs to the height of the French Impressionist movement, falling squarely within the influential period of 1876 to 1900. Pissarro consistently chose subjects reflective of daily rural life, elevating common landscapes and labor. The subject matter a field of cabbages is humble, yet it allows the artist to explore rhythm and repetition through the patterned rows of crops receding into the distance. This attention to agricultural structure provides a quiet study of geometric form beneath an open sky.
The existence of these two simultaneous studies offers invaluable insight into the rigorous working methods of the artist as he developed his compositions for both drawing and print editions. This important example of Impressionist draftsmanship is housed in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. As a historical work, the image is sometimes circulated, allowing prints of this pivotal piece from the public domain to be viewed and studied widely.
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