Peasants Going to Work

Peasants Going to Work by Jean-François Millet, created in 1863, is a powerful example of 19th-century French Realist printmaking. Executed as an etching in brown and black ink on thin laid paper, this work represents the seventh and final state of the composition, demonstrating Millet’s meticulous approach to developing his tonal range.

The print captures two figures-a man and a woman-trudging away from the viewer, presumably toward their labors in the fields. The heavy, bowed posture of the figures emphasizes the physical strain inherent in agricultural work during this era, defining the subjects not as romanticized peasants but as working individuals facing daily hardship. Millet was a central figure in the Barbizon School, known for his dedication to portraying the dignity and struggle of rural life. Unlike many of his contemporaries who idealized pastoral scenes, Millet presented these working men and women of the French countryside with an unvarnished honesty that often drew criticism from urban critics.

As a key print from the artist's mature period, the etching technique allows Millet to achieve a rich density of line, using deep shadows and robust forms to anchor the figures firmly in their environment. This focus on the realities of the working agricultural class defined the artist’s oeuvre. This significant piece is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s extensive collection of European prints, where it is studied as an important document of mid-19th century Realism.