Two Shepherdesses Resting with Two Sheep

Auguste Giraudon's Artist · late 1870s

During the 1870s, Giraudon commissioned one or more artists—probably a French painter who wished to remain anonymous—to create photographs of peasants. Now called Giraudon’s Artist, this photographer was one of the few in the 1800s specializing in rural figure studies created for use by artists. The images were likely taken near Barbizon, a destination popular with artists who wanted to work from nature. The artistry of these images derives from their skillful use of light, ability to render a subject in the landscape, and a perceptive depiction of human dignity.

Artist

Auguste Giraudon's Artist

Date

late 1870s

Medium

albumen print from wet collodion negative

Culture

France, 19th century

Dimensions

Image: 11.2 x 17 cm (4 7/16 x 6 11/16 in.); Paper: 11.2 x 17 cm (4 7/16 x 6 11/16 in.); Matted: 35.6 x 45.7 cm (14 x 18 in.)

Credit

Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund

Open-access artwork courtesy of Cleveland Museum of Art. Mooseium is not affiliated with or endorsed by this institution.