Daniel Ridgway Knight and the Shepherdess of Rolleboise

'The Shepherdess of Rolleboise' (c.1896) by Daniel Ridgway Knight; Brooklyn Museum, New York

Finding today's painter was easy. Choosing a painting was more difficult because there are so many that I like. The painter's name is Daniel Ridgway Knight, born on March 15, 1839, and died on March 9, 1924, and I had never heard of him before. But as soon as I found him to be a match for today's date, I didn't look further for another painter. Knight was an American artist who depicted peasant women outdoors in the field, amidst flowers, or doing the day's chores. If you google his name and images, you see women in similar outdoor settings, some paintings more colourful than others. Knight studied in Paris and was highly influenced by Jean-François Millet but he chose to portray his peasant women at happier moments as opposed to Millet. His paintings of peasant women were very popular and he received several prizes for his work, among others the Third Class Medal for Hailing the Ferry at the Paris Salon in 1888. His paintings are realistic and rich in detail. I love the earthy colour palette of this painting and the girl's coat. For further reading, click here.