A Young Woman Washing Her Feet at the Edge of a Stream 1889 - 1900

Editor: Here we have Camille Pissarro's "A Young Woman Washing Her Feet at the Edge of a Stream," created sometime between 1889 and 1900 using charcoal and pencil. It’s at the Met. I'm struck by the fleeting quality of the sketch, almost like catching a secret moment. How do you see this piece, what’s your reading of it? Curator: It's a wisp of a memory, isn't it? Pissarro’s lines seem to dance across the paper. For me, it whispers of Impressionism’s fascination with light and fleeting moments but there's also something deeply personal here. It is like he caught a fragment of a dream. Tell me, do you find the woman's pose to be vulnerable or strong? Editor: I think she's self-possessed, even in this intimate act. It doesn’t seem like she is bothered at all by someone watching her. I almost get the feeling that she is a little empowered. Curator: Yes, and maybe the setting adds to that feeling? Away from society and convention, surrounded by the embracing wilderness. Pissarro uses the charcoal so deftly here; smudging creates a hazy backdrop which allows us to hone in on our character in a beautiful natural, safe setting. Do you think the unfinished nature adds to the power of the work? Editor: Absolutely! The incompleteness keeps it alive, like the memory is still forming. I appreciate that so much. Curator: It's as if Pissarro is saying that beauty lies not in rigid perfection, but in the suggestion, the implication. Maybe, the feeling is something we bring to it. We help Pissarro build his sketch. Editor: That’s so well put. I had never thought about it that way. Now I'm leaving with a deeper appreciation for Impressionism's subtlety and personal touch. Curator: Me too! Thanks for helping me wash my feet with this mysterious maiden.