Grandpa's Day 1864

Jules Breton painted this genre scene on canvas, likely in France in the latter half of the 19th century. The image describes a tender moment between an old man and a young girl. The work creates meaning by showing the bond between young and old, in what we may assume is a domestic setting. The focus of Breton's artistic production was scenes of rural life, particularly those of the peasant class. The artist may have been interested in immortalizing a disappearing way of life, because during this period France was undergoing rapid industrialization and urbanization. Moreover, the composition is organized around traditional gender roles, with women tending to the family and home. Art historians contextualize paintings such as these by researching contemporary social structures through census records, literature, and other cultural documents. In so doing, we gain an understanding of the values and beliefs that shaped both the production and reception of art.