Vrouw zit op stoel en kaardt wol

The print Vrouw zit op stoel en kaardt wol by Jean François Millet, executed between 1855 and 1857, captures a quiet moment of rural industry. Classified as a print on paper, the work focuses intensely on a single figure: an elderly woman seated on a chair engaged in the repetitive, necessary task of carding wool. This classification suggests the work was intended for reproduction and dissemination, a common practice for artists distributing graphic studies to a wider audience.

Millet was renowned for his unwavering commitment to depicting the dignity of agricultural and domestic labor, a theme central to his career following his move to the village of Barbizon. Unlike some of his grander canvases, this piece offers an intimate, highly focused portrayal, typical of his detailed graphic output. While the specific printing technique is not detailed in the record, the subtle tonality achievable in 19th-century prints allows the artist to emphasize the heavy textures of the subject's clothing and the deep concentration visible in her posture.

Produced during the emergence of the Realist movement in French art, works like this offered a powerful alternative to established academic norms, celebrating the unvarnished reality of peasant life. Millet’s mastery of form, even on a modest scale on paper, elevates the daily work of carding wool from a mundane activity to a subject worthy of serious artistic contemplation. This significant impression of the piece resides in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. Given the artwork’s age and historical importance, high-resolution images of these master prints are frequently made available to the public through public domain initiatives worldwide.