The Washerwoman, By Honore Daumier

The Laundress, also called The Washerwoman, by Honoré Daumier (French, Marseilles 1808–1879 Valmondois) is an oil on wood, painted in 1863 in Paris. The painting depicts a washer woman returning from the laundry boats in Seine, a river in Paris. Although she is exhausted and weary she carries her load up the stairs while helping the child. The painting speaks to the issue regarding poverty in other parts of the world. The woman is not wealthy, but humble and completes her daily chores. Poverty is an issue in many places around the world due to unequal distribution of wealth based on status and gender inequality. The color used in The Laundress captures and focuses the attention on the woman in the center. The background is a warm, bright yellow that that contradicts the dark, dim lighting of the woman and the child who appear to be in the shadow. The warm earthy tones in the painting suggest that it was taking place during the hotter weather in the evening, when most people end their day at work. The wardrobe of the woman is a simple grey brown covering with no jewelry which represents her status in wealth and lifestyle in the eighteenth century. The color of the …show more content…
It is implied that she is exhausted, but caring in the way her posture is slightly bent over and her head tilted down as she extends her arm out to the child. The way she carries the load in one hand while the other holds the hand of the child also shows that she has more responsibilities than just working. This suggests that women are usually taking care of the children even while they have jobs. It depicts the common practice that women should be taking care of children while even while they work. The lack of expression contributes to the painting as a whole by showing the lack of wealth, energy and excitement in the life of a washer