Farmstead

Jean-François Millet made this drawing of a French farmstead with graphite on paper. Millet was known for his sympathetic depictions of rural life in 19th century France. What makes this image radical for its time is its focus. Before, the French academy taught that the only fit subjects for art were historical, religious, or allegorical. Landscape was way down the list, and genre scenes of common folk lower still. But here’s Millet, centering working people and their homes. Look at the level of detail Millet uses to render the thatched roof. Rather than idealizing a classical ruin, he painstakingly captures the texture of this rustic structure. This elevation of the everyday challenged the established hierarchies of artistic subject matter. To truly understand Millet, we need to consult sources from the period. Exhibition reviews, political pamphlets, and even agricultural reports can give us insight into how this image, and others like it, disrupted the artistic status quo. Art is never made in a vacuum.