Charcoal & yellow white chalk /paper/ on cardboard signed undistinctly on bottom right & dated on bottom left « 27 Janv. (18)72 » Dedicated to Mr A.Lambert. Provenance : Private collection Toulouse & Bordeaux. Drawings or paintings inspired by pretty Italian peasant women are almost a genre in themselves in 19th century creations and were highly sought after by collectors. Initiated by Bartolomeo Pinelli, Léopold Robert, J.F.Navez, J.V. Schnetz & Guillaume Bodinier in the 1820s, this vein continued with Gérôme, Hébert & even Degas. For these painters forced by the Academy to copy ancient statues and draw inspiration from classical examples ubiquitous in Rome, the representation of village women was an escape route. The folk costumes and customs of these women seemed exotic to them compared to the frequented city dwellers. Some agreed to pose easily when without resources, in particular the sisters or companions of imprisoned brigands.