The Turtle Seller

The Turtle Seller (Le marchand des tortues) is an oil on canvas painting by the French painter Pierre Puvis de Chavannes, from 1854. It has been held in the Musée d'Orsay, in Paris, since its acquisition in 2014.

Description
The painting, measuring 89 by 118 cm, depicts a daytime scene on a canal in Venice. In the foreground there is a young black turtle seller, scantily dressed, half leaning against a column, with his gaze turned towards an apparently well-off lady and another one, playing with their dogs. In the center of the predominantly gray-pink painting, a woman, accompanied by her child, transports two buckets using a yoke. The child seller does have several turtles nearby and seems to be touting them.

Provenance
The Turtle Seller is a work that remained in the property of the artist until 1898. It then passed to his nephew Camille Jordan, who later moved to London. After several ownerships the painting was purchased by the Musée d'Orsay, in 2014.