Jean-Francois Millet Case

Jean-Francois Millet was born on October 4, 1814 in Normandy. He was a French painter that based most of his arts on Realism. He was the founder of the Barbizon school in France, and is remembered for his scenes of peasant farmers; he was both a part of the naturalism and realism movements. Millet portrayed the gravity, hardship, and dignity of common farming laborers, but his viewpoint was less political than fatalistic. Between 1865 and 1869, he produced over one hundred pastels, considered among his finest works. Millet's humanity toward peasant life deeply impressed many painters, which is why he is known as one of the best artists of his time.

Millet spent his youth working on the land, but by the time he turned 19, he was studying art in Cherbourg. In 1837 he arrived in Paris and eventually joined in the studio of Paul Delaroche, where he remained until 1839. After ten years of mixed success while he supported himself with portraits, The Winnower appeared at the Salon of 1848 and was the first of his peasant pictures to sell. In 1849 he moved to Barbizon in Fontainebleau forest, where he lived for the rest of his life. He continued to create paintings of peasants, and, as a result, he was considered a socialist. Despite mixed reviews of the paintings he exhibited at the Salon, Millet's reputation and success grew throughout the years.

In 1850, Millet finished what is known as one of his best paintings: the Sower. This masterpiece is one of many portrayals of rural life by Jean-Francois Millet. This painting may have been unfinished because Millet's work is usually characterized by deeper, more heavily worked paint. The amazing portrayal of a common man in a common task made the work popular in its day. In the painting, we see a peasant randomly sowing under the sunshine that comes from the horizon at the right of the picture. Its location tells us that it is just becoming dawn, and that the peasant has just begun his working day. He is a young man wearing simple, everyday clothing for his task. Although we cannot see his eyes, the expression of his face indicates his struggle, his sadness and, at the same time, his strong will. The tone of the canvas is dark and dirty, making the setting even more dramatic. The painting is now in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

By the mid-1860s, Millet's work was beginning to be in request; he became well known in 1868, after nine major paintings had been shown in 1867. Important collections of Millet's pictures are to be found in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. In 1870, Millet was elected to the Salon jury. Later that year, he and his family fled the Franco-Prussian War, moving to Cherbourg and Gréville, and did not return to Barbizon until late in 1871. His last years were known for financial success and increased popularity, but his health was failing. On January 3, 1875, he married Catherine in a religious ceremony. Millet died on January