Wooded Hillside near Vichy 

Jean-François Millet's "Wooded Hillside near Vichy," is a landscape drawing executed with ink and watercolor. The composition is arranged into three distinct horizontal registers. The foreground establishes a field space through the use of horizontal lines and marks. The middle ground presents a rise in land populated with groupings of trees. The background presents the culmination of the landscape, a dense line of tall trees sketched in dark ink. The drawing’s structure is defined by its stark contrasts in tone, from the light-filled plane of the field to the thick, dark strokes suggesting the density of the wooded area. The overall structure emphasizes a tension between open space and enclosure, prompting us to consider the dialectical relationships between light and shadow. The materiality of the ink and watercolor—their fluidity and capacity for blending—enhances the landscape’s evocative qualities, suggesting atmosphere and depth.