Brouillet first studied art at l’Ecole Centrale in 1876 before he entered the prestigious Ecole des Beaux-Arts in 1879 where he studied with Gérôme. This same year he debuted at the Salon and later was elected an Officer of the Legion of Honor. He contributed illustrations to Paris publications Illustré and Figaro Illustré.
The Harvest is a classic late 19th-century depiction of a worker in the field, taking a break. Many French artists went out to the countryside to depict works and this was deemed part of a Naturalistic movement in France. It was in revolt against the mainstream academic works depicting the upper-class in Parisian life. Brouillet in this work has a lovely element of light at play that also indicates he was embracing the Plein air techniques that were coming into play.
Haussner's Restaurant Collection, Baltimore, MD
The Greenwich Gallery, Greenwich, CT
Private Collection, Coale, Greenwich, CT