Starry Night c. 1850 - 1865

Jean-François Millet painted Starry Night with oil on canvas in the mid-19th century. The dark palette, applied with loose brushwork, evokes a twilight rural scene. Millet was a master of atmospheric painting. He renders the weight and color of a night sky as a canopy over the French countryside. This work's social significance is embedded in its materiality, the way the oil paint gives a tactile form to Millet's artistic vision, and the reality of rural life. The impasto of the paint, with visible brushstrokes, imbues the artwork with a raw, immediate quality. The effect of the night sky is achieved with layers of thin glazes that create depth and luminosity, reflecting Millet's skill and the time-consuming nature of his craft. Starry Night challenges traditional distinctions between fine art and the world of labor and the dignity of rural life.