Léon-Augustin Lhermitte was a painter who achieved considerable recognition in his day. Aligned with the Realists, he was known for his paintings of rural scenes of the working poor. He was invited to participate in one of the Impressionist Exhibitions, but refused. His brilliant use of pastels and full-hearted depictions of peasant life served as an inspiration to Van Gogh. La Moisson depicts the harvesting of wheat, presenting the hardworking life of rural farmers within a fruitful landscape. The painting celebrates the hard but necessary life of rural labor. While recognizing its hardship, Lhermitte also shows the rightness of this relationship with the natural world.

Brianna Gettier ‘22

"Lhermitte's secret, it seems to me, is none other than that he knowns the figure in general-- namely the sturdy, severe workman's figure-- through and through, and takes his subjects from the heart of the people"

-Vincent van Gogh in a letter to his brother, Theo

To read more about Lhermitte, visit the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum

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