Peasants Carrying Sticks (Paysannes portant des fagots)

"Peasants Carrying Sticks (Paysannes portant des fagots)" is a compelling lithograph created by Camille Pissarro in 1896. This late-career print reflects the artist’s enduring commitment to depicting rural French life and the dignity of labor. The piece was executed using a lithograph from a zinc plate, printed expertly onto delicate pink Chine collé paper. This specific technique, involving the careful adherence of thin tissue paper onto a heavier support sheet, adds a subtle tonal warmth and textural richness often associated with Pissarro’s later graphic work during the period of 1876 to 1900.

Pissarro, who consistently prioritized genre scenes showing the agricultural workforce, renders two figures laboring under the weight of large bundles of firewood (known as fagots). Although known primarily as a leading figure in Impressionism, the medium of prints allowed Pissarro to explore line work and darker, more defined compositions suitable for social commentary. Unlike his sun-drenched Impressionist oils of the 1870s, this work uses strong contrasts and simple forms to emphasize the figures’ stoic movement and hard existence. This engagement with graphic arts confirms Pissarro’s dedication to making art more accessible and underscores his position as a politically conscious artist operating within the rapidly changing French landscape of the late 19th century.

The subject matter aligns with Pissarro’s long-standing interest in the agrarian poor, a theme he revisited consistently after his initial Impressionist phase, establishing him as an important bridge figure between Impressionism and the developing Post-Impressionist movements. This important print is part of the extensive collection of French works housed at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. As with many significant works of this era available through the NGA, high-quality prints of Peasants Carrying Sticks (Paysannes portant des fagots) are often made available through public domain initiatives, allowing wider study and appreciation of Pissarro’s crucial contributions to graphic arts.