First Steps

The intimate drawing First Steps was created by Jean-François Millet during the extended period between 1854 and 1871. This preparatory or finished piece is classified as a drawing, utilizing black chalk and pastel applied deftly to beige laid paper. Millet, a highly influential French artist associated with the Barbizon school and the rise of Realism, dedicated his career to celebrating the lives and dignity of rural laborers and their families. The span of years indicated for its completion highlights the artist’s deep engagement with themes of domesticity and agrarian life, central concerns in 19th-century France.

The subject matter focuses on a tender, universally understood moment: a child learning to walk, likely assisted by parents or older figures whose shapes are softly defined by the medium. Millet’s choice of black chalk, enhanced by the subtle tonal richness of pastel on the laid paper, allows for a nuanced interplay of light and shadow, imparting an emotional warmth characteristic of his drawings. This artistic approach elevates the simple act into a profound human experience, contrasting sharply with the purely academic subjects prevalent at the time.

Drawings such as this often served as crucial studies for larger oil paintings, demonstrating the evolution of Millet’s compositions. However, this particular work functions powerfully as an independent artistic statement, emphasizing the inherent beauty and simplicity of the home environment. The drawing resides today within the distinguished collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Because of the artist’s prominence and the age of the work, high-quality images and prints of this and similar Millet drawings are frequently available through public domain art collections, ensuring broad access to his artistic legacy.