A Peasant Woman
- Artist: Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot
- Date: before 1913
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is "A Peasant Woman" by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot. Painted in the Italian north, this work showcases an Italian peasant woman wearing traditional costume. Her distinctive headdress is atovaglia, a piece of folded linen or other cloth worn flat on the head and covering the neck. This style remained popular in Italy during the 19th century. Many French artists were fascinated by Italian folk costume, particularly after increased migration to France from the mid-19th century. Corot was one such artist who painted studies of women wearing traditional dress, often incorporating bright colours into his work.
However, "A Peasant Woman" presents a different approach. The restrained colours and thin application of paint are notable characteristics, setting it apart from Corot's other works, like "Italian Woman". It's thought that this painting was created by an imitator rather than the artist himself, possibly during the early 20th century when his late figure paintings were in high demand.
See it in person
A Peasant Woman hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
