Falling Leaves c. 1866

Jean-François Millet created "Falling Leaves" using pastel and charcoal to portray a somber, yet pastoral scene. Notice how the composition is structured around a series of vertical lines, formed by the stark, bare trees that dominate the foreground. These verticals create a screen, partially obscuring our view of the open field and the distant horizon. This division of space evokes a sense of enclosure, almost as if we're peering through a barrier into a different world. The subdued palette of browns, greys, and muted yellows further enhances the mood. Light filters softly through the scene, emphasizing the textures of the foliage and the rough wool of the grazing sheep. Millet’s choice to focus on the formal arrangement of shapes and lines invites us to consider the deeper symbolic meanings embedded within. The falling leaves, the stark trees, and the obscured view may suggest themes of transition, mortality, and the cyclical nature of life. Art, like nature, never offers a singular, stable meaning, but rather invites us to engage in continuous interpretation.