Jean-François Millet produced the 1857 painting The Gleaners, a work depicting the labor of field workers that remains a central pillar of French Realism. His career spanned decades of artistic output across Paris, Le Havre, and Barbizon, evolving from early portraiture to the detailed observation of rural life that defined his most celebrated canvases.
Early Training and Paris
Born in 1814 at Gréville-Hague, Millet began his formal education in Cherbourg before moving to Paris in 1837. He enrolled at the Beaux-Arts de Paris until 1839. After initial rejections at the Salon, he achieved success in 1847 with Oedipus Taken down from the Tree. By 1848, the French government purchased his work The Winnower, though his ambitious canvas The Captivity of the Jews in Babylon faced harsh public criticism.
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In 1849, Millet relocated to Barbizon, becoming a prominent member of the Barbizon school. His work increasingly moved toward realistic depictions of peasant life, exemplified by paintings such as The Sower and Haymakers. In 1850, he established a financial arrangement with Alfred Sensier, which provided him with necessary materials. His 1853 painting Harvesters Resting earned him a second-class medal at the Salon.
Masterworks and Later Career
Millet gained international attention for works including The Angelus and The Potato Harvest. The Angelus, originally titled Prayer for the Potato Crop, was commissioned by Thomas Gold Appleton. Later in his life, Millet focused on landscapes. In 1868, he was appointed a Knight of the Legion of Honour. He died in 1875 at Barbizon and was buried at the cemetery of Chailly-en-Bière.
Fast facts
- Born: 1814, Gréville-Hague
- Died: 1875, Barbizon
- Movement: French Realism
- Education: Beaux-Arts de Paris (1837-1839)
- Notable Works: The Gleaners, The Angelus, The Sower
- Awards: Knight of the Legion of Honour (1868)
- Burial: Cemetery of Chailly-en-Bière
- Occupations: Painter, engraver, photographer, drafter
Questions readers ask
What artistic movement is associated with Millet?
He is primarily categorized as part of the French Realism movement.
Where did Millet work during his career?
He worked in several locations including Paris, Le Havre, Cherbourg, and Barbizon.
Achievements
- Knight of the Legion of Honour — 1868
- Notable work: The Gleaners
- Notable work: The Angelus
- Notable work: The Potato Harvest
- Notable work: The Sower
- Educated at Beaux-Arts de Paris
- Worked as plower, painter and engraver
