The Two Cows

"The Two Cows" by Jean François Millet French, 1814-1875, is an exceptional example of 19th-century French graphic art, created during a prolific decade between 1842 and 1852. Classified as a print, the work showcases Millet's sophisticated handling of multiple intaglio techniques, combining etching, drypoint, and roulette. The intricate process, further complicated by the use of foul biting, results in a textured image on ivory laid paper, allowing for rich, velvety blacks and varied tonal gradation, particularly in defining the musculature of the livestock and the atmospheric background.

This piece, focused on two bovine subjects standing in a field, reflects the artist’s career-long commitment to documenting rural life. Unlike many of his later, more overtly dramatic depictions of peasant labor, this work offers a quiet, intense study of animals, treating them with the same seriousness afforded to human portraiture. The expressive lines achieved through the drypoint needle lend the subject a powerful, grounded presence characteristic of the Realist movement prevalent in France during the mid-1800s.

Millet's prolonged working period on the plate, spanning ten years, suggests the intensive experimentation he undertook to master the print medium. The final impression, demonstrating the interplay between carefully etched lines and the randomized texture provided by the roulette and foul biting, is a testament to his technical ambition. This significant piece resides in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. As a classic example of fine art prints from this period, high-resolution versions are widely available through various public domain initiatives, ensuring continued scholarly access to Millet's early etchings.