Jean Francois Millet
Birth Date: October 4, 1814
Death Date: January 20, 1875
Artist Gallery
Jean Francois Millet was born in a small village near Greville and Cherbourg in the north of France. He was brought up by a father who was a peasant, deeply pious and a man of considerable culture. Another strong influence in his life was his grandmother. His talent for drawing came to light before the age of 6 when he started coping pictures from the family Bible. Once he started to school – his father took him to a local artist for lessons. In time this teacher apparently felt Millet was a gifted student and persuaded the city council to vote an income for a study trip to Paris. Millet upon arrival in Paris at the age of 22 went directly to the Louvre and became immersed in the art. Michelangelo’s work made a profound influence on the young man and Millet once said about the artist: I first touched the heart and heard the speech of him who has so haunted me all my life. Eventually Millet moved his family to Barbizon which is near Fontainebleau on the outskirts of France were other artists were living and working – among his artists friends in this area were Theodore Rousseau, Charles Daubigny and Narcisse Diaz. In 1850 he began to produce the great peasant paintings he is noted for, but unfortunately a market for this work was not found until after his death. When Millet produced the masterpiece “The Sower” he was labeled a socialist. Peasants were not considered proper subjects for artists to paint and draw. He did not “beautify” the peasants in a way that would have appealed to the taste of the middle 19th century collector. Instead Millet sympathized with peasants. In the three Millet drawings owned by the Museum you have the chance to study work by a master over a 10 year span of time. The first “Harvesters at Rest” dating from 1846 to 1849, the second “Peasants” likely dates from the early years in Barbizon which would be 1849-1852 and the last drawing is “Two Shepherdesses” could well have been completed between 1852 to 1856. Please enjoy which critics feel was one of the first realist artists since he went directly to nature for inspiration and his works are the result of those experiences. Millet said, “The peasant subjects suited my temperament best and it is the human side of art which touches me most and if I could only do what I like or at least attempt it, I should do nothing that was not an impression from nature in landscape or figure”.