Hay Making
1877 Musée d'Orsay
About this artwork
This large-scale oil painting depicts a weary peasant couple resting in a field after laboring in the hay harvest. It is a defining example of the naturalist movement, noted for its meticulous attention to detail and honest portrayal of rural life.
Did you know?
When 'Hay Making' debuted at the 1878 Paris Salon, it caused quite a stir due to its uncompromising and unflattering depiction of rural poverty. Critics were divided, with some finding the subjects' blank, weary expressions deeply moving, while others were shocked by what they considered a lack of idealization in a formal painting. The work remains one of the most significant representations of the naturalist movement's shift toward depicting the 'truth' of working-class life.
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Hay Making
Jules Bastien-Lepage, 1877
