Herding the Cows at Dusk (Vachère le soir)

Herding the Cows at Dusk (Vachère le soir) is an expressive monotype on laid paper created by Camille Pissarro in 1890. This unique work is classified as a print, though the process results in a single, unrepeatable impression, distinguishing it from traditional editioned graphic arts. Pissarro utilized the technique to capture the fleeting atmospheric transition of late evening, focusing on a solitary figure guiding a small herd of cows along a path under heavy, darkening skies.

The monotype technique, where an image is drawn or painted onto a plate and transferred just once to the paper, lends the work its unique, ephemeral quality, blurring the line between drawing and reproduction. Pissarro’s skillful handling of the dense, velvety ink against the subtle texture of the laid paper enhances the feeling of dusk, suggesting the weighty, transitional air and the fading definition of forms in low light. This approach aligns with the artist’s broader interest in conveying the sensory experience of a specific time and place.

This piece belongs to the active period of French art history spanning 1876 to 1900, a time when Pissarro, despite his fame as an Impressionist painter, was experimenting heavily with printmaking. He frequently explored the themes of rural labor and peasant life in his graphic works, reflecting a profound commitment to observing and documenting contemporary agrarian realities. As a significant example of Pissarro’s highly tonal output from this era, the print showcases the subtle atmospheric effects possible within the limited palette of black ink. This important example of 19th-century French graphic art is held in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art.