The Little Nest Harriers 

"The Little Nest Harriers" was painted by Camille Corot using oil on canvas, sometime in the mid-19th century. Corot was working at a time when French art was moving away from academic painting and toward more realistic and naturalistic styles. This painting depicts a group of children, possibly Roma, engaged in the activity of nest robbing. The image creates meaning through visual codes that romanticize the rural life in France. The painting reflects the changing social structures of mid-19th century France, as industrialization and urbanization led to a growing interest in the countryside and rural traditions, and the old myths of the "bohemian" lifestyle. It idealizes the figures in the painting and does not take a politically charged position. Understanding this artwork requires a look at the social conditions of the time, which can be found in historical archives, literature, and other cultural artifacts.