The Shepherdess, a significant print created in 1863, was designed by Jean François Millet (French, 1814-1875) and executed as a woodcut by his younger brother, Jean-Baptiste Millet (French, 1831-1906). This collaboration showcases Millet’s interest in expanding his compositions beyond oil painting and preparatory drawings. The choice of medium-woodcut on cream Japanese paper-utilizes strong, simplified linework to define the solitary female figure, characteristic of the Barbizon School’s deep commitment to naturalism and depicting scenes of agricultural life.
Produced in France, this piece belongs to a series of Millet’s graphic works created during a period when his reputation for depicting rural subjects was firmly established. Millet frequently focused on the unvarnished lives of peasants, portraying the laborer with quiet dignity rather than sentimental romanticism. The graphic simplicity inherent in the woodcut technique in The Shepherdess serves to emphasize the figure's elemental connection to the land and the demanding, repetitive nature of pastoral work. The relative accessibility of prints allowed Millet's compositions to be distributed widely, securing his pivotal role in the French Realist movement. This historically important work is preserved within the distinguished collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, and its stature ensures that high-quality images of this classic subject are often found within the public domain.
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