How Much Is Laundresses Carrying Linen in Town Worth?

An 1879 date places the painting in Pissarro’s prime Impressionist period, when he worked closely with the core group and exhibited at the Impressionist shows. Works from the late 1870s carry a premium over many of the 1890s rural variants because of their centrality to the movement’s formation and the freshness of the brushwork and palette. Figure subjects from this period—distinct from pure landscapes—add narrative and social interest, amplifying appeal. While the subject is not as iconic as Pissarro’s 1897 Paris boulevards, it is nonetheless a meaningful strand within his oeuvre and a clear step above routine late Éragny scenes in terms of both art‑historical importance and market velocity.

Laundresses/washerwomen are a recognized and commercially attractive motif across Impressionism. Collectors respond to the balance of genre intimacy and modern‑life subject matter, and the theme enjoys a strong market precedent (with Degas’s laundresses historically performing well), which reinforces category confidence even as artist‑specific pricing differs [4]. For Pissarro, an engaging, well‑composed laundress canvas from the late 1870s typically outperforms many standard landscapes of similar size. The best examples, with lively handling and well‑observed figures, can trade in the mid‑single‑digit millions. The subject’s resonance within the period supports sustained demand, provided that the execution is robust and the surface is fresh.

Oil on canvas is the core medium for Pissarro’s market. Size and facture are decisive: mid‑ to large‑format canvases with confident, intact surfaces can command a 30–50% premium over small, sketch‑like works. Surface freshness (minimal abrasion), absence of overpaint, and stable conservation histories are critical. Relining per se is not disqualifying, but heavy linings or widespread retouch often compress bidding. Given current comparables, a substantial, well‑preserved laundress canvas from the late 1870s would comfortably track to the upper half of the range, whereas a small or condition‑compromised example would sit toward the lower band.

Transparent, pre‑war provenance and inclusion in reputable exhibitions and literature (especially the critical catalogue by J. Pissarro & C.D.-R. Snollaerts) are material value drivers. Ongoing restitution scrutiny around Pissarro means wartime‑era gaps can meaningfully depress value or delay transactions [5]. In addition, title overlap with Degas’s Blanchisseuses portant du linge creates occasional cataloguing confusion; confirming the correct catalogue raisonné number is essential. A watertight ownership chain, clear CR entry, and any major exhibition history can add significant confidence—and price—while ambiguity around title/attribution or WWII‑era gaps is priced in through wider estimate spreads and reduced bidding appetite.