A Shepherdess and Her Flock in the Shade of Trees
1854–55
Medium
Conté crayon and pastel on laid paper
Dimensions
14 3/4 x 10 3/4 in. (37.4 x 27.3 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929
Accession Number
29.100.559
Tags
Art Historical Context
Jean-François Millet, a pioneering figure in the Realism movement and the Barbizon school, the quiet dignity of rural life inA Shepherdess and Herlock in the Shade of* (1854–55). Created during a time when industrialization was transforming France, this intimate drawing reflects Millet's commitment to portraying peasants and shepherds not as romantic ideals, but as authentic figures in their natural environment. The scene evokes the serene French countryside, with a shepherdess tending her flock beneath protective trees—a poignant symbol of harmony between humanity and nature amid 19th-century...
About the Artist
Jean-François Millet · 1814–1875
Jean-François Millet (1814-1875) was a French painter and one of the founders of the Barbizon school, whose dignified depictions of peasant laborers transformed how art could represent rural life. His monumental images of sowers, gleaners, and field workers elevated common people to subjects previously reserved for mythological or historical figures, making him a pivotal figure in the development ...