ticketsMember | Make a donation

The Weeders

1868
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 802
This is a smaller variant of a composition Breton painted in 1860 (Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha) and exhibited to wide acclaim at the Salon of 1861 and the World’s Fair of 1867 in Paris. In his autobiography, Breton described this twilight scene of peasants pulling up thistles and weeds—"their faces haloed by the pink transparency of their violet hoods, as if to venerate a fecundating star"—noting that he had discovered the subject as a "finished picture" near his native village, Courrières, in northern France.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Weeders
  • Artist: Jules Breton (French, Courrières 1827–1906 Paris)
  • Date: 1868
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 28 1/8 x 50 1/4 in. (71.4 x 127.6 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Bequest of Collis P. Huntington, 1900
  • Object Number: 25.110.66
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Woman at the Spinning Wheel, Jules Breton French, Fabricated black crayon
Woman at the Spinning Wheel
Jules Breton
1884
A Peasant Girl Knitting, Jules Breton French, Oil on canvas
A Peasant Girl Knitting
Jules Breton
ca. 1870
Seated Peasant, Paul Cézanne French, Oil on canvas
Seated Peasant
Paul Cézanne
ca. 1892–96
Madame Cézanne (Hortense Fiquet, 1850–1922) in a Red Dress, Paul Cézanne French, Oil on canvas
Madame Cézanne (Hortense Fiquet, 1850–1922) in a Red Dress
Paul Cézanne
1888–90
The Collector of Prints, Edgar Degas French, Oil on canvas
The Collector of Prints
Edgar Degas
1866

Related Content

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.