These two women huddle closely together in a dark room with a curtained bed behind them and a short stool with a pin cushion and darning tool within reach. Long after the sun had set on winter evenings in the French countryside, neighbors would occasionally gather at one house to conserve light and heat as they continued daily tasks like mending or weaving baskets. As in other Millet works of women sewing, the lamp brightens the work upon their laps but leaves their surroundings in deep shadow. Their marmottes (tight headscarves) identify them as peasants from the Barbizon region where Millet lived for 26 years from 1849-1875.

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