realism

Petite Bergère (1891)

William Bouguereau (French, 1825–1905)

A young shepherdess pauses in a sunlit field, her quiet dignity and the soft glow of the scene blurring the line between realism and dream.
Peasant Girl Returning From The Well (c. 1860)

Jean-François Millet (French, 1814–1875)

A young girl carries a water jug through a field, her quiet strength and the earthy tones painting a vivid portrait of rural toil.
Pâquerettes (1894)

William Bouguereau (French, 1825–1905)

A young girl holds daisies in a luminous portrait of innocence, where every brushstroke hums with quiet emotion.
Laura at Sixteen (1896)

Alice Pike Barney (American, 1857–1931)

A tender portrait of youthful introspection, blending delicate light and quiet emotion.
A Sick Chicken (1874)

Winslow Homer (American, 1836–1910)

A lone, ailing chicken stands in stark solitude, its fragile form rendered with raw honesty against a barren backdrop.
A Young Girl Preparing Chantarelles (1892)

Peter Ilsted (Danish, 1861–1933)

A girl’s quiet concentration as she handles wild mushrooms, bathed in sunlight that turns kitchen work into art.
Breton Girl

Pascal-Adolphe-Jean Dagnan-Bouveret (French, 1852–1929)

A young Breton girl in traditional dress gazes thoughtfully, her weathered clothing and quiet strength revealing a life of rural toil and quiet pride.
Rough Work (1883)

Winslow Homer (American, 1836–1910)

A gritty, atmospheric depiction of manual labor, where brushstrokes and shadows convey both exhaustion and quiet perseverance.
Madame Gautreau (Madame X) (c. 1883)

John Singer Sargent (American, 1856-1925)

A daring portrait of a woman whose defiant elegance scandalized Paris, blending luminous skin with dark, dramatic contrasts.