A Young Woman Washing Her Feet at the Edge of a Stream

A Young Woman Washing Her Feet at the Edge of a Stream is a unique and introspective print created by Camille Pissarro between 1889 and 1900. Classified as a monotype on wove paper, this work demonstrates Pissarro’s sustained interest in graphic arts and unconventional printing methods during the late Impressionist period. The monotype technique, which involves creating a drawing directly onto a plate before passing it through a press to achieve a single impression, lends the image a characteristic atmospheric depth and tonal subtlety. This piece is housed within the expansive prints collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The subject matter focuses intimately on a woman engaged in the simple, private action of washing, a motif Pissarro returned to frequently in his late career as he explored scenes of peasant and rural life. The figure is shown bent low over the water, her form solid yet rendered softly through the rich, inky tones achievable only through the monotype process. This focus on women performing domestic or personal tasks aligns with Pissarro’s broader artistic mission to elevate ordinary, unidealized moments to the level of high art, often contrasting with the grand historical narratives favored by the French Academy.

Pissarro viewed printmaking, particularly the execution of unique prints like this monotype, as a critical expressive outlet, allowing him to explore contrasts between light and shadow independent of his colorful Impressionist canvases. The resulting work captures both the physicality of the individual and the quiet dignity of labor. As part of the prestigious Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection, A Young Woman Washing Her Feet at the Edge of a Stream serves as a powerful example of Pissarro’s mastery of the graphic medium and his commitment to documenting the rhythms of everyday existence in the late 19th century.