The Resting Horseman
by LE NAIN, Matthieu, Oil on canvas, 55 x 67 cm
The group of paintings usually attributed to Louis Le Nain generally said to represent peasants, however, to figures in, for instance the Resting Horseman are too well-dressed to be true peasants, who in the 1640s had been reduced to a very low level of existence. They probably represent the members of the bourgeoisie who had begun to buy land near the Le Nain brother’s native town.