Turkeys root among the autumn leaves, looking for food in this painting. A woman wearing a cape stands with her back to us. She holds a stick to herd the flock of turkeys. In the background, we see a bare tree and a haystack.

Where's the lightest, most colorful part of the scene? In the distance, a sunlit village far away, and the blue sky above the low hanging clouds. Where's the darkest, grayest part? In the foreground nearest where you're standing. It looks as if there's a cloud overhead, blotting out the sun. The shadowy woman, tree and haystack loom against the sky. The jagged tree limbs look like skeletal arms. The woman resembles the grim reaper, an ancient figure of death who wore a hood and carried a scythe. What mood does this create? Using just colors and shapes, the artist Jean-François reminds us that after Autumn comes the long sleep of Winter.