Jules Breton

Unlined. Under UV: Spots of inpainting fluoresce at upper left and in sky.
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In 1862 Jules Breton traveled near Bordeaux to the expansive vineyard estate of the Comte Duchâtel who commissioned the artist to paint a pendant to his Les Sarcleuses (1860).  Upon arrival Breton became quickly immersed in the daily life of the vineyard and his gracious hosts, returning again in 1863 to complete further studies in preparation for his Les vendanges à Château-Lagrange, first exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1864 (now held by the Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, Nebraska).  The present study for the central harvester of Les vendanges may have been completed during either of Breton's trips and demonstrates that just as the hard-working peasant women of Courrières had served as ideal subjects for the artist, those of Bordeaux proved inspirational as well.