Peasants Going to Work

Peasants Going to Work by Jean François Millet French, 1814-1875, is a compelling example of the artist's dedication to depicting the dignity and rigor of rural labor. Created in 1863, this powerful image is a print, specifically an etching, executed on ivory laid chine. This detailed medium highlights the precision required for its creation, demonstrating Millet’s significant technical mastery outside of his more widely known oil paintings. This particular impression utilized only a portion of the original copper plate, focusing the viewer’s attention tightly on the figures as they traverse the agrarian landscape.

Millet, a pivotal figure in 19th-century French Realism, consistently championed the lives of agricultural laborers, elevating their daily struggles to subjects worthy of high artistic representation. The composition of Peasants Going to Work features two figures moving through the fields, presumably at the start or end of the day, emphasizing the relentless cycle of work. The quiet solemnity and weight given to these individuals reflect Millet’s characteristic humanism and his commitment to portraying the harsh but enduring realities of working life in France during the mid-1800s. The wide distribution of prints like this allowed his evocative social commentary to reach a broader audience.

As a masterful example of French printmaking from this era, the etching allows for detailed observation of texture and atmospheric effect, crucial elements in Millet’s aesthetic. The composition avoids the idealized pastoralism common in earlier works, instead grounding the scene in recognizable effort. This important 1863 work is part of the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it serves as a key reference point for understanding the development of social realism in 19th-century European art.