Who created "The Keeper of the Flock"?

The Keeper of the Flock was created by Jean François Millet in 1871–74.

When was "The Keeper of the Flock" created?

This artwork was created 1871–74.

What medium is "The Keeper of the Flock"?

The Keeper of the Flock is Oil on canvas.

The Keeper of the Flock

Jean François Millet

1871–74

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

71.7 × 91.5 cm (28 × 36 in.); Framed: 105.5 × 125.1 × 14 cm (41 1/2 × 49 1/4 × 5 1/2 in.)

Classification

painting

Department

Painting and Sculpture of Europe

Museum

Art Institute of Chicago

Accession Number

4776

Art Historical Context

Jean-François Millet's *The Keeper of the F* (1871–74) captures the quiet dignity of rural French life, a hallmark of the artist's Realist style. As a leading figure in the Barbizon School, Millet drew inspiration from the Barbizon forest near Paris, where he settled to paint en plein air. This oil on canvas, measuring 71.7 × 91.5 cm, depicts a shepherd tending sheep in a vast, misty landscape—likely a poignant reflection on the enduring peasant existence amid France's post-Napoleonic upheavals and encroaching industrialization. Millet's masterful use of oil allowed for lush, textured brushwo...

The Keeper of the Flock

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