The Wool Carder (recto); Fragmentary Sketch of Man Standing by Fence (verso) is a double-sided drawing by Jean François Millet French, 1814-1875, dating from 1857-1858. Executed on ivory wove paper, the composition demonstrates Millet’s pragmatic approach to materials, utilizing different chalks for distinct studies. The primary image on the recto, The Wool Carder, is rendered in expressive black chalk. This detailed study focuses on a laborer engaged in one of the repetitive tasks central to 19th-century rural life. Millet, a key figure in the French Realist movement, frequently depicted the dignity and hardship of agricultural workers, capturing their posture and commitment to their demanding occupations.
The reverse side of this drawing features a contrasting study in red chalk: a fragmentary sketch of a man standing by a fence. The quick, energetic lines of the verso suggest a preparatory idea or an observation captured swiftly in the field. The contrast between the deliberate rendering of The Wool Carder and the looser sketch on the verso reveals the artist’s process-driven methodology. As a quintessential French artist of the Realist period, Millet rejected the academic traditions of idealized subjects, focusing instead on the tangible reality faced by the working poor. This work, classified simply as a Drawing, serves as a crucial document reflecting the social concerns that influenced art production in France during the mid-19th century.
This dual-sided piece contributes significantly to the understanding of Millet’s output between 1857 and 1858. This important drawing is held within the distinguished permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it offers viewers insight into the techniques employed by the master draftsman. High-resolution versions of such seminal works are sometimes made available through museum digitization programs, furthering scholarship and ensuring the artwork's accessibility to the public domain.
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