Young Girl Knitting (Jeune fille tricotant)

Accession Number
1983/2.250

Title
Young Girl Knitting (Jeune fille tricotant)

Artist(s)
Camille Pissarro

Object Creation Date
1876

Medium & Support
oil on canvas

Dimensions
22 1/16 in. x 18 1/8 in. ( 56 cm x 46.1 cm )

Credit Line
Museum Purchase made possible by the Friends of the Museum of Art

Label copy
Painted during Pissarro’s tenure in Pontoise (1872–1884), "Young Woman Knitting" remained in the artist’s private collection until his death, at which point it passed into the hands of his son, Emile Paul Pissarro. "Young Woman Knitting" is a paramount example of the domestic interior scenes featuring women that were popular among late nineteenth-century French painters. Such images functioned to confirm visually the belief that, while the proper sphere of a man’s life was public, a woman’s role in society could only be played out in the private sphere of the home.
The Japanese fan in the background speaks to Pissarro’s interest in Japanese art and, more generally, to the widespread preoccupation among European artists of this period with "Oriental" (non-European) art. Alfred Steven’s "Hide-and-Seek (Cache-Cache)", is another object in the collection that provides evidence of this prominent cultural and artistic trend.

Subject matter
Candid-type portrait of a girl knitting, more realistic setting in impressionistic style.

Physical Description
A girl seen in profile sits, knitting something red. There is a table beyond her and a fireplace with a fan above on the wall on the right side.

Primary Object Classification
Painting

Collection Area
Western

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
Figures
candles
fans (costume accessories)
fireplaces
girl
knitting (process)
lamp
seated
table
tablecloths

11 Related Resources

Adolescence
(Part of 7 Learning Collections)
Art of interest to Judaic Studies
(Part of 3 Learning Collections)
Children and Childhood
(Part of 7 Learning Collections)
Fashion and Adornments in Global History
(Part of 3 Learning Collections)
Girlhood
(Part of 9 Learning Collections)
Docent Materials for Collection Ensemble: The Reimagined Apse
(Part of: Docent Information From Training Continuing Education Sessions)
Schwache Interaktion
(Part of: W20 - German 416 - Möbel in der Kunst)

& Author Notes

Web Use Permitted