The Poor Fisherman by Pierre Puvis de Chavannes. A solitary fisherman stands in a small wooden boat near a shoreline where a woman and child are situated under a pale, overcast sky.

The Poor Fisherman

Pierre Puvis de Chavannes

1879 · Oil Paint, Canvas

A quiet and atmospheric coastal scene rendered in a soft, ethereal palette of ochre and grey.

$243

For the selected configuration

From $129

6 frame sizes

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Where it works

A measured, restful work with softened warm notes — asks little of the space around it.

Often works in
Bedroom · Living Room · Study
Placement
Strong over sofas, beds, buffets, or wider open walls
Walls
Benefits from a distinct wall tone
Color notes
Olive green, Soft sage, Soft gray

About the piece

This 1879 study by the French Symbolist master Pierre Puvis de Chavannes captures a moment of quietude on the shore. Utilizing his signature style of simplified forms and a matte, fresco-like finish, the artist evokes a sense of timelessness and resilience through the figure of the fisherman and his family against a vast, shimmering sea.

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