The Gleaners

"The Gleaners" is an evocative and historically significant print created by Jean François Millet (French, 1814-1875) between 1855 and 1856. This impression utilizes the demanding printmaking techniques of etching and drypoint, executed on ivory laid paper that is hinged to a cream card mount. Millet collaborated closely with the renowned French printer Auguste Delâtre (1822-1907), whose expertise helped realize the artist’s characteristic texture and atmosphere in the medium of prints.

Millet was a central figure in the 19th-century French Realist movement, dedicating his career to depicting the harsh realities of rural poverty and labor. This composition depicts three peasant women performing the arduous and low-status task of gleaning, gathering the scattered grains left behind after the main harvest. The work carries profound social commentary, confronting the urban bourgeoisie with the struggles of the agricultural poor in France.

The drypoint technique employed here is evident in the rich, burred lines that create dense shadows and a tactile quality distinct from the artist’s oil paintings of the same subject. The lines convey the weight and fatigue of the laborers, emphasizing their stooped posture against a flat, expansive horizon. This piece provides insight into Millet’s methodical exploration of his most iconic theme across different mediums. This specific example of the artist’s influential prints is part of the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.