In Femme Cousant, completed in 1916, Louis Valtat turns the quiet domestic act of sewing into a study of chromatic intensity and intimate observation. Rendered in pastel, the composition draws the eye through layered, vibrant color built with the kind of confident, tactile mark-making that defined Valtat's mature practice. The figure is rendered with acute attentiveness, her posture and concentration conveying a sense of absorbed stillness, while the surrounding palette radiates warmth and visual energy. At just over 40 by 32 centimeters, the work carries a presence that belies its modest scale, and its condition remains excellent more than a century after its completion. Valtat occupies a distinctive position in early twentieth-century French painting, a Post-Impressionist whose bold colorism anticipates Fauvism while retaining an intimacy and craft that keeps his work accessible across generations. His paintings and works on paper are held in significant public and private collections internationally, and his pastels in particular are admired for the directness and spontaneity they allow. Femme Cousant is a compelling example of this, demonstrating his ability to translate everyday life into something visually arresting without sacrificing sensitivity or refinement. This work has been verbally confirmed authentic by Louis Andre Valtat to Christie's and is hand signed in the lower right corner. It is archival matted and presented in a custom frame, arriving ready to install. A gallery letter of authenticity accompanies the piece, offering collectors both confidence in their acquisition and a sound foundation for any future provenance record.