Back to album

1874, Jules Breton, The Cliff -- National Gallery of Art (Washington)

From the museum/exhibition label:

 

Salon 1874, no. 257

 

Here, a barefoot young woman in the traditional dress of Brittany, far to the west of Paris, gazes at the weather-beaten coast fabled for its Celtic origins and its resistance to modernization. Large in size for maximum impact, the image addresses an urban yearning for space, solitude, and communion with wild, raw nature.

 

Breton was considered a cutting-edge painter due to his commitment to the honest and unromanticized depiction of rural life. His rustic scenes celebrating rural France became extremely popular among art collectors, including those in the United States.

224 views
0 faves
0 comments
Uploaded on October 6, 2024
Taken on October 6, 2024