Woman Feeding Her Child

Woman Feeding Her Child is an intimate print created by Jean François Millet in 1861, executed with the collaborative assistance of noted printmakers Auguste Delâtre and Félix Henri Bracquemond. This work, classified as a print, utilizes the demanding techniques of etching and drypoint. The delicate delineation and rich tonal variations are enhanced by the choice of substrate: ivory Japanese paper, which provides a unique warmth and texture to the surface. The combination of etching for clear lines and drypoint for softer, burr-enhanced shadows showcases the technical refinement sought by French printmakers during this period.

Millet, a central figure in 19th-century French art, specialized in depicting the quiet dignity of peasant life, transforming everyday domestic scenes into profoundly moving images. The subject of Woman Feeding Her Child focuses on a moment of tender care, characteristic of Millet’s sympathetic view of rural labor and motherhood. Created in France at a time when prints were becoming increasingly valued as artistic originals rather than mere reproductions, this piece demonstrates the artist’s mastery across media.

Millet carefully managed the composition to emphasize the close physical and emotional connection between the mother and child, relying on deep shadows and concentrated light to create a sense of hushed domesticity. Many influential works of this vintage, which are often found in the public domain, establish Millet's reputation as a powerful graphic artist. This important impression of the etching and drypoint is currently preserved within the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.