Night, from "Four Times of the Day"

Night, from "Four Times of the Day" by Jean-François Millet is a powerful 19th-century print exploring the intimacy and quiet industry of rural domestic life. Executed as a wood engraving on chine collé, this demanding technique involved adhering a thin, often translucent sheet of specialized paper (the chine) onto a heavier support sheet before printing. This approach allowed Millet to achieve richer, more subtle tonal variations than standard engraving, lending the print a distinct textural quality.

The scene depicts a somber nighttime interior centered around a working family. The composition emphasizes the continuous cycle of labor and care, showing women engaged in sewing activities under dim light, while men and infants occupy the surrounding space. The intense contrast between light and shadow effectively captures the atmosphere of "Night," one of the four components in the series, underscoring the gravity and dignity Millet consistently afforded his depictions of common people.

Created sometime between 1830 and 1875, this expressive piece showcases Millet’s skill in translating painterly sensitivity into the stark medium of graphic arts. Its inclusion in the esteemed collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art affirms its historical and artistic significance. As a widely recognized example of 19th-century French genre scenes, the imagery found in works such as Night, from "Four Times of the Day" is frequently shared through public domain initiatives, ensuring continued scholarship and appreciation of the artist’s contribution to the history of prints.