The Wheat Sifters

"The Wheat Sifters" is a captivating painting by Gustave Courbet, completed in 1854. This artwork first garnered public attention at the Paris Salon of 1855 and was later featured in 1861 during the ninth exhibition of the Society of Friends of the Arts in Nantes. Today, it resides in the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nantes.

The painting portrays two young women, believed to be Courbet's sisters, Zoe and Juliet, accompanied by a young boy, presumably Désiré Binet, Courbet's illegitimate son. The scene captures a moment of everyday life imbued with a sense of personal intimacy, making it a poignant piece in Courbet's oeuvre.