The Gleaners

The Gleaners is an etching created by Jean-François Millet between 1850 and 1861. This significant work, currently housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection, showcases Millet’s deep engagement with rural labor during the mid-nineteenth century. Although better known for the large oil painting of the same title, this specific print offers a unique window into Jean-François Millet’s sustained exploration of the theme through a dramatically different medium and compositional structure.

The technique used here is an etching applied to chine collé, indicating a specialized printing process where a thin sheet of paper, bearing the image, is adhered to a heavier backing support during the press run. This particular impression is designated as the first state of two, suggesting it captures Millet’s initial decisions regarding line work and tone before subsequent alterations or additions were made to the copper plate. Unlike the famous canvas, which concentrates solely on working women performing the titular task, Millet utilized this print medium to depict both men and women engaged in various strenuous agrarian tasks, conveying the relentless nature of their working lives.

Millet was a central figure in the Barbizon school, known for elevating scenes of peasant life to monumental status. This artistic choice often attracted considerable social controversy during his time due to the political implications of focusing on the poverty and resilience of the working class. This piece demonstrates Millet’s masterful use of etched line to convey both the exhaustion and the dignity inherent in manual labor. As a key example of nineteenth-century French realism, while the original artwork remains protected, high-quality prints of this iconic subject often enter the public domain over time, allowing students and art enthusiasts worldwide greater access to the masterworks of the period.