Return from the Harvest

The artwork Return from the Harvest is a painting from 1878 by William Adolphe Bouguereau. It is currently located at the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens and measures 1.6955 meters in width and 2.4 meters in height.

The painting depicts a group of five figures, likely a family, returning home from a day of harvesting. A young boy, adorned with a crown of leaves, sits atop a small donkey. He is flanked by two women, presumably his mother and an older sister or aunt. The women are dressed in traditional peasant clothing, with long skirts and headscarves. The older woman guides the donkey while the younger one smiles playfully. Two young boys, likely brothers, accompany them. One dances merrily in front of the donkey, tambourine in hand, while the other walks alongside, holding a stick. The scene is set against a backdrop of lush foliage, suggesting a rural and idyllic setting. The painting captures a moment of joy and familial warmth, characteristic of Bouguereau's idealized depictions of peasant life.