The Poor Bench in Saint-Germain-des-près
Lhermitte was a leading artist in the revival of the charcoal medium in the second half of the nineteenth century. The visible watermark on the lower left edge of this sheet is that of an art supplier, L. Berville, who especially promoted materials for charcoal drawing. In this early preparatory work related to a more finished drawing</a>, the women seated along the church bench appear increasingly abstracted as they recede along the diagonal into dark shadow. Yet, even in the absence of detail, their hunched postures convey their downtrodden status.
Artwork Details
- Title: The Poor Bench in Saint-Germain-des-près
- Artist: Léon-Augustin Lhermitte (French, Mont Saint-Père 1844–1925 Paris)
- Date: 1867
- Medium: Charcoal
- Dimensions: Sheet: 10 15/16 × 18 13/16 in. (27.8 × 47.8 cm)
- Classification: Drawings
- Credit Line: Bequest of Harvey Salzman, 2020
- Object Number: 2022.25.9
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Léon-Augustin Lhermitte
1894
Léon-Augustin Lhermitte
1877
Léon-Augustin Lhermitte
1905
Léon-Augustin Lhermitte
1884
Léon-Augustin Lhermitte
1874
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.