Italian Peasant Boy

Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot

National Gallery of Art

This painting depicts a young boy sitting in a relaxed position, with his right arm leaning on a black surface. He has pale skin, wide eyes, and a small, slightly downturned mouth. He is wearing a dark, wide-brimmed hat, a light-colored jacket over a white shirt, dark trousers, and what appear to be foot coverings made of wrapped cloth. The background shows a simple setting: a pale greenish wall, a framed piece of art or a window, and a block of wood on the floor in the corner of the image. The brushstrokes in the painting are visible, especially those in the floor and the boy's jacket.