A Woman Sewing

A Woman Sewing by Jean François Millet French, 1814-1875, created in 1855, captures an intimate moment of domestic labor. Classified as a print, the work is an etching executed in rich bistre ink on a delicate ivory wove paper. Millet, renowned for his sympathetic depictions of rural life in France, focused here on the quiet concentration of a lone figure engaged in needlework. This process involved scratching the image onto a copper plate, allowing the resulting matrix to capture the deep, velvety shadows typical of the finest 19th-century prints, emphasizing tonal depth through the medium.

This piece exemplifies Millet's commitment to Realism, moving away from idealized subject matter toward the genuine portrayal of the working class during the mid-19th century. The work’s small scale and intense focus reflect the artist's dedication to conveying the dignity found in mundane, daily tasks. The figure, rendered with sobriety, is illuminated by a source of light that accentuates the hands and the fabric, making the activity itself the primary subject. This focus on working figures made Millet’s art incredibly influential across France.

The widespread accessibility of prints during this period made works like this essential for sharing artistic and social commentary. This significant example of Millet's graphic output is held in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it serves as a key reference point for the study of 19th-century French prints. As a historically important work of art, this image, often found today within public domain archives, continues to be celebrated for its technical mastery and humanistic sensibility.