Calling the Cows Home

About this artwork

Jean-François Millet, a leading figure of the Barbizon School and French Realism, captured the dignity of rural life in *Calling the Cows Home (ca. 1872). This oil on wood painting depicts a pastoral scene likely featuring a herdsman summoning cows at day's end, reflecting Millet's lifelong fascination with the everyday labors of peasants in Barbizon, France. Amid the social upheavals of 19th-century Europe, industrialization's encroachment on agrarian traditions, Millet elevated humble subjects to heroic status, challenging the romanticized ideals of academic art. The choice of wood as a support—uncommon for large oils—lends an intimate, tactile quality to the 37¼ × 25½-inch panel, allowing for fine brushwork and luminous effects in the earthy tones typical of Millet's style. His loose, textured application of paint evokes the golden light of late afternoon, blending realism with poetic atmosphere. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Paintings collection since a 1950 gift, this work exemplifies the Barbizon emphasis on plein-air observation and naturalism. Millet's empathetic portrayal of rural folk influenced later artists like Van Gogh and the Impressionists, underscoring the cultural value of ordinary moments. Visitors can appreciate how *Calling the Cows Home* preserves a vanishing world, inviting reflection on humanity's bond with the land.