Jules Breton (French, 1827-1906)
Evening in the Hamlet of Finistère, 1882
Oil on canvas
36 3/4 x 52 inches
Gift of Nathan and Jessie Kimberly Paine
A master of mood and poetic sentiment, Breton depicted his peasants with a sense of refinement and almost classical elegance, rather than focusing on hardship and the toil of their labor. This scene depicts peasants enjoying a moment of leisure at the end of the day. The village of Finistère is located in Brittany on the northwestern coast of France, and these figures wear the province’s traditional headdresses. Breton began working on this painting by sketching residents of Finistère during an 1880 visit. He completed the painting in 1882 and exhibited it that summer in Paris at the Salon. Critics admired the painting’s simplicity and austere subject, praising Breton’s ability to faithfully interpret the evening hour with an almost religious sentiment.