A Woman Churning

"A Woman Churning" is a significant 1855 print by Jean François Millet, executed using the complex intaglio process of etching and drypoint. The work was printed by the skilled French artisan Auguste Delâtre, who was pivotal in reviving the etching medium in mid-19th-century France. This specific impression is rendered in a deep dark brown ink on fine ivory laid paper, showcasing the rich textural variations inherent to the medium.

Millet, a key figure in the Barbizon School, was renowned for his empathetic and unvarnished depictions of rural peasant life. This piece focuses intimately on a solitary female figure engaged in the laborious task of churning butter, highlighting the essential yet often unseen efforts of agricultural workers in 19th-century France. The drypoint technique, characterized by sharp, velvety lines created by scratching directly into the plate, effectively captures the somber atmosphere and the weight of the woman's daily routine, lending a quiet dignity to the domestic toil.

The deliberate choice of the print medium allowed Millet to reach a wider audience than oil paintings permitted, ensuring that his realistic observations of labor were broadly distributed. This valuable print is held within the esteemed permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. As a masterwork of 19th-century French graphic arts, high-resolution reproductions of the image are often made available through public domain initiatives, ensuring that study prints of this impactful piece remain accessible to scholars and the general public worldwide.