Two Peasants 

Camille Pissarro made this artwork titled “Two Peasants” with pastel on paper. Pissarro used strokes of dry pigment to depict two agricultural laborers, blurring the lines between drawing and painting. The soft, powdery nature of pastel gives the image an ethereal quality, softening the harsh realities of peasant life, while the visible strokes emphasize the labor involved in creating the image. Pissarro's choice of pastel, a medium often associated with sketches and preparatory studies, lends the work an immediacy that invites the viewer to engage with the subjects on a human level. The artist deliberately chose this medium, despite its association with the decorative arts, and applied it to a subject that reflects the realities of rural life and labor. Considering materials, making, and context allows us to fully appreciate the meaning of "Two Peasants," and challenges the traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.