Woman Feeding Her Child

Woman Feeding Her Child is a sensitive and technically sophisticated print created in 1861 by the renowned French artist Jean François Millet (French, 1814-1875). This particular impression, produced through the combined efforts of printers Auguste Delâtre (French, 1822-1907) and Félix Henri Bracquemond (French, 1833-1914), utilizes the demanding techniques of etching and drypoint. The collaboration of these three figures highlights the specialized role that master printers played in realizing the textural and tonal intentions of artists during this high point of printmaking in France.

Millet was a central figure in the Realist movement, known for his dedication to depicting the unvarnished realities of rural and peasant existence. Here, the work captures a quiet, private moment of domestic care: a woman gently nourishing her child. The careful application of drypoint lends a powerful immediacy and depth to the figures, focusing the viewer solely on the intimacy of the scene and the universal necessity of survival. This piece demonstrates Millet’s consistent ability to imbue small-scale prints with profound human dignity and emotional resonance, avoiding the idealization common in preceding artistic styles.

The artwork’s delicate nature is emphasized by its support medium: the etching and drypoint impressions were pulled on buff wove China paper, which was then laid down onto ivory card for preservation and stability. Classified as an essential 19th-century print, the work is part of the extensive collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it contributes to the museum’s holdings of important public domain masterworks.