In the 1896 sale of the Veuve Th. Riot at the Hôtel Drouot this work was catalogued as a study of a Brittany Shepherd. Ribot, who often did studies of Brittany types, has focused on a shepherd wearing a hood of rough material that would shield him from the elements. The realism of the study is emphasized through the shepherd's swarthy complexion, the fact that his face is partially concealed by the hood of the body covering, and the fact that the tones of the composition are earthen and natural. There is a strong suggestion that Ribot developed this work from life and a familiarity with the simple rough hewn garments worn by the shepherds and workers in the fields.

This work will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné of Ribot's work by Dr. Gabriel P. Weisberg.