Vendean Peasant Drinking (Paysan assis buvant)

A substantial portion of Charles Milcendeau’s oeuvre features people drinking, sometimes alone, sometimes in a tavern. Since his parents were innkeepers, it was a milieu the artist knew well. He tended to study his sitters, typically countryfolk, with care, here delineating the traditional peasant’s hat, leggings, and sabots (wooden shoes). Milcendeau lavished equal attention on the light, which floods the room from a low angle at the left. The long, deep shadows tell us that it is late in the day, an indication that the man’s drink is probably a well-earned reward after long hours of hard work.