135. Charles Milcendeau, Old Woman Praying
| Artist | Charles Milcendeau, French, Soullans, Vendée 1872–Soullans, Vendée 1919 |
| Title, Date | Old Woman Praying (Vieille femme en prière), c. 1890s |
| Medium | Charcoal |
| Dimensions | 13 × 12 in. (33 × 30.5 cm) |
| Inscriptions + Marks | Upper left: Charles Milcendeau |
| Provenance | [Galerie Jacques Fischer, Paris, until mid-2000s; to Weisberg]; Yvonne and Gabriel Weisberg, Minneapolis |
| Exhibition History | "Catalogue of the Eighth Annual Exhibition at the Carnegie Institute," November 5, 1903–January 1, 1904, Pittsburgh, no. 255 (along with Milcendeau’s "French Peasants," no. 256); "Reflections on Reality: Drawings and Paintings from the Weisberg Collection," Mia, 2022–23 |
| References | "Cosmopolitan Pictures. Some Examples That Will Be Seen in Several Cities. Exhibit of the International Society Begins at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts," "New York Times," October 4, 1903, p. 15 |
| Credit Line | Promised gift of Gabriel P. and Yvonne M.L. Weisberg, Minneapolis |
Despite lacking a date and any record of being exhibited, this drawing appears to have been made in the 1890s, when Charles Milcendeau was interested in drawing portraits and single figures doing simple tasks. The theme of an aged woman holding a rosary reinforces the piety of the peasants where he lived, in the Vendée region in western France. The small holy water font on the back wall further documents the locals’ deeply personal spiritual practices.
The darkness of the drawing makes it difficult to tell exactly where the woman is seated. In a church? In her home? Both readings seem possible. In either case, Milcendeau focused our attention on the intensity of her prayers, drawing our eye to her downturned head and clasped hands. The empty chair emphasizes her isolation. Milcendeau may have hoped this intimate portrait would bring viewers closer to the lives of those of humble means.
GPW