Little girl carrying brushwood 1920

Tadeusz Makowski made this painting with oil on cardboard; inexpensive materials for an artwork. The quick, visible brushstrokes suggest that this was made relatively quickly, en plein air, or, if not, then based on studies done in the landscape. Notice how the paint is layered and blended to create the atmospheric perspective, with the mountain fading into the background. The artist's focus is on the figure of the young girl, burdened by a heavy load of brushwood. The painting evokes the realities of rural life and child labor, where even the youngest members of the community contributed to the household economy, performing the work of gathering firewood for cooking and heating. Makowski’s choice of humbler materials, as well as his style, reflects a commitment to representing the lives of ordinary people, and the dignity of labor. It challenges traditional hierarchies within art, and it brings into view the everyday realities of early 20th-century life.