Old Farmhouses

About this artwork

Research in Progress

Art Historical Context

"Old Farmhouses" is a delicate drawing by French artist Eugène Edouard Soulès (1811–1876), created in 1833 when he was just 22 years old. This early work captures the charm of rural French architecture, showcasing weathered farmhouses that evoke a sense of timeless countryside life. As a drawing, it highlights Soulès' skill in rendering texture and form with precision, a medium favored by 19th-century artists for quick studies and personal expression before the rise of photography. Set against the backdrop of post-Napoleonic France, the piece reflects a growing Romantic interest in nature and vernacular buildings amid rapid industrialization. Soulès, though lesser-known today, contributed to the tradition of topographic drawings that preserved everyday scenes. Housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection—thanks to a gift from collectors Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt—it bridges European artistic influences with American holdings. While research on this work continues, "Old Farmhouses" invites us to appreciate the quiet poetry of the ordinary, reminding visitors of art's power to document vanishing rural heritage. (178 words)