Peasant Girl

The delicate drawing Peasant Girl was created by the leading French Impressionist Berthe Morisot in 1890. This evocative work demonstrates Morisot’s refined technique using red chalk applied directly to light brown paper. The method of stumping, where the artist rubbed the chalk to create soft gradients and subtle shadows, gives the portrait a distinctive atmospheric quality, typical of the loose, observational style favored by the Impressionists.

Morisot’s career, spanning the crucial period from 1876 to 1900, focused heavily on domestic intimacy and the quiet portrayal of women and children. This drawing, likely an informal study, captures the gentle profile of a young figure. Unlike the heavy outlines associated with academic drawing traditions, Morisot uses the red chalk with remarkable lightness, allowing the subject to emerge from the colored paper ground rather than being rigidly defined upon it. This approach reflects her desire to capture the immediate sensation of a moment, moving beyond classical studio constraints into a more personal and modern depiction of everyday life.

As a drawing, this piece retains the immediacy and textural sensitivity of a direct observation. The choice of light brown paper provides a warm, earthy background against which the subtle red highlights give the image warmth and vitality. Morisot, a crucial figure among the founding Impressionists, successfully translated the fluidity and light of her oil paintings into the medium of chalk drawing. This significant example of her draftsmanship is maintained within the esteemed collection of the National Gallery of Art. Due to its historical importance and the generosity of the institution, high-quality prints derived from the public domain images of the work are widely available, allowing for broader access and appreciation of Morisot’s subtle mastery.