The Haymaker (le foin)
The Haymaker 1909. Oil paint on canvas. h: 37 in, w: 31 in.
Jules Breton. French, 1827-1906
At the center of the Nineteenth Century Gallery here at the Denver Art Museum is the oil painting, The Haymaker (le foin), by Jules Breton, a notable French naturalist painter. It is placed brilliantly in the space as to capture the focus of incoming visitors. This artwork, along with many others by Breton, mirrors rural peasant life and sparks a storm of commentary on the adversities of the working class.
Jules Breton directly and honestly portrays people of the working class, and by taking such an approach, he delivers to his audience a close, intimate, and sensitive perspective of the people. Choosing to highlight a single subject for this particular work allows viewers to familiarize themselves with that subject and to observe the subject beyond the painting, as a human being with thoughts and feelings.
The Haymaker (le foin) depicts a realistic and candid moment taken from the daily life of a woman haymaker, relatable to those of the French lower economic class. The female laborer is posed honestly, standing in an open field of grass with her rake in both hands, as if the moment lasted for just a quick second before she continued on with her duties.
The life-altered face and figure worn by the woman reiterate the hardships faced by the lower class. She is seen with red-flushed cheeks and a head of messily blown hair, presumably from a hard day’s work. The exhausted expression she holds is bold and evident, it is quick to notice as her eyes are painted to look directly into those of the viewer. And her hopeless, sad frown can’t be missed, pulling viewers in to share and understand her feelings on an intense level. The emotion is strongly communicated through Breton’s work, creating a common sense of empathy among the museum’s visitors.
Jules Breton successfully portrays the intensity and difficulty of being part of the lower economic class. The humanity displayed in the artwork forms a collective change in beliefs towards the lower economic class by highlighting the harsh impact on the people who live it.
Coming Up Next on MYDAMFAV:
Path in the Wheat Fields at Pourville (Chamin dans les blés à Pourville) by Claude Monet