Redemptive Renderings: Millet and His Muses

    Throughout his time as an artist in the 1850s, Jean-François Millet tended to portray peasants in a redeeming light contrary to many of his professional counterparts. After Millet and his family moved to Barbizon, many sources indicate that he was unsatisfied with the models around him and instead looked for women laborers to be his muses. It was this empathetic approach to the perception of the lower Parisian classes that made Millet’s work so controversial. Our post-modern perceptions of these same paintings lack the same shock-factor as we view these works of art as mundane depictions of nineteenth century Barbizon settings.

    Even before his interest in field laborers, Millet expressed dissatisfaction with painting nudes and a fear of being “type-casted”, so that he turned to working women in the fields. Although some sources believed the sensuality of his nudes persisted into his paintings of field laborers, many perceive his work as uplifting and redemptive for marginalized laborers, those who were looked down upon and mistrusted. It is interesting to see the influence that Christianity had on Millet coming through his paintings as he portrays the marginalized and vulnerable in such a redemptive and uplifting light in his cultural moment. Many examples of Millet’s elevation of peasant women through his artworks will be found throughout this curatorial project.

Shepherdess Seated on a Rock

Jean-Francois Millet

Medium: Oil on wood

1983.446

    In this image, Millet uses space and color to emphasize the central figure knitting on a rock as she cares for her nearby flock. Using the medium of oil paint, Millet is able to make the whole painting look soft, solemn, and even noble rather than filthy and grotesque. It's the elegance with which he paints this woman who would’ve had such a lower class standing in society that restores dignity to her and her humble livelihood.

A Woman Burning Weeds

Jean-François Millet

Medium: Pen and brown (iron gall) ink, watercolor and wash over graphite on laid paper

29.100.560

    In this work, Millet uses color, shape, and space to emphasize the main figure who faithfully watches over her work. The pose that Millet gives to this woman is honest and unafraid as she is surrounded by these pillars of smoke. Millet depicts this woman tending to her field as she burns the weeds in several piles around her that would impede her crops and livelihood. Such an act could be understood to be heavily redemptive as her removal of these plants in the field will allow her to plant new, fruitful crops next season.

Cooling the Porridge

Jean-François Millet

Medium: Etching; third state of five

23.65.16

In this etching, Millet uses line, value, and space to once again create emphasis on these two central figures. The mother is depicted as a gentle and caring guardian who ensures that her baby receives food that is safe to eat and nutritious for its growth. This snapshot into everyday life starkly reminds viewers of the many sacrifices of parents and especially mothers who care for their families and children even in the midst of other responsibilities that may be looming in the background.

Retreat from the Storm

Jean-François Millet

Medium: Oil in Canvas

2002.613

    In this painting, Millet utilizes value, color, and almost a chiaroscuro effect to emphasize the two figures in the foreground of the painting. The woman is portrayed as strong and brave as she drags her sick child, carries their resources, and outpaces the storm. Millet uncovers a reality that many peasants faced as they dealt with food insecurity, natural disasters, and disease. He doesn’t shrink from these terrors and instead elevates this woman’s resilience and bravery in this situation.

Sheepshearing Beneath A Tree

Jean-François Millet

Medium: Conté crayon with stumping, heightened with pen and brown ink and white gouache on wove paper.

40.12.3

    Millet uses space, value, and shape to emphasize the proceedings in the middle of the painting. This snapshot of the two farmers’ livelihood reveals an attention to detail and intricate control necessary for their profession. The woman especially in this figure is the one who is cutting the wool off of the animal as she uses her skills to ensure the quality of their product and the safety of their flock. The way that Millet draws the figures is elevating as they are portrayed as clean, noble, and hard workers.

Haystacks: Autumn

Jean-François Millet

Medium: oil on canvas

60.71.12

In this painting, Millet uses color, shape, and implied line to bring a calming unity and serene balance to this work. The serenity right below the impending storm is magnified by the peaceful sheep and lofty haystacks in the background. The lone figure that we see monitoring the flock is again depicted as noble, graceful, and a diligent laborer, and it seems reasonable, given his previous depictions to wonder whether again Millet has chosen a female model for this work.

References:

Julia Cartwright, Jean François Millet; his life and letters (Swan Sonnenschein & Co.: 1896), 51, 72, 90, 103.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/Jean_Fran%C3%A7ois.

Murphy, Alexandra R., Jean-François Millet, Richard Rand, Brian T. Allen, James A. Ganz, Frick Art & Historical Center, and Alexis Goodin. 1999. Jean-François Millet: Drawn Into the Light. Yale University Press.

Waller, Susan. 2008. “RUSTIC POSEURS: PEASANT MODELS IN THE PRACTICE OF JEAN‐FRANÇOIS MILLET AND JULES BRETON.” Art History 31 (2): 187–210. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8365.2008.00605.x.