Laguillermie, Young Breton Woman Winnowing Buckwheat by the Sea, 1875, Paper

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A young breton woman stands barefoot on a sheet spread over the ground at the edge of the sea, winnowing … Read more A young breton woman stands barefoot on a sheet spread over the ground at the edge of the sea, winnowing buckwheat. She holds a large round sieve tipped forward at shoulder height, and a thin stream of grain pours from it to a growing heap at her feet, the wind carrying the chaff away. She wears the white headdress of a breton peasant, a full dark skirt and bodice over a light blouse with rolled sleeves, and she looks down with quiet attention at the falling grain. Behind her the shore opens onto a calm sea, rocky headlands and a soft, cloudy sky, so the figure stands out tall and clear against the light. The sheet is lettered with the french title "jeune bretonne vannant du blé noir au bord de la mer." (young breton woman winnowing buckwheat by the sea) and "(salon de 1874)," the year the painting was shown at the paris salon. At lower left is "laguillermie, pinx. Et sc.," meaning that frédéric auguste laguillermie both painted the picture and etched this plate himself. At lower right is the imprint of the great paris etching publisher alfred cadart, at 56 boulevard haussmann. The plate was issued by cadart in 1875 in his annual album "l'eau-forte en 1875". It is an etching by the painter himself, drawn with a delicate, even line: fine parallel hatching in the sky and sea, firmer strokes in the dark skirt, and a beautifully controlled thread of grain falling from the sieve. A lovely print for a coastal home, a farmhouse kitchen or a collection of breton subjects, framed simply in light oak or white. Condition: light wear to the bottom left corner. Age toning, darker at the edges; handling soiling along the edges and scattered foxing in the margins. Even toning across the whole sheet. Printed image clean. This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed. Any framed or interior images are shown for presentation and inspiration only, unless the listing explicitly states that the item is sold framed. See less