Breton peasant girl

A confined cottage interior is the setting for this quiet scene depicting a young Breton woman with delicate features absorbed in needlework. She wears a simple headdress, heavy blue dress edged with a wide, white collar, wooden clogs, and an apron to protect her clothing from the exertions of her daily chores. Sunlight entering from the window on the left draws attention to the woman’s nimble fingers and heightens the intimate mood. Jules Trayer painted interiors and rural scenes – invariably focused on women’s activities – in Quimperlé and Pont-Aven at a time when artists flocked to Brittany to portray the landscape and the daily lives of Breton people.