Migratory birds (sitting woman) 

Jean-François Millet rendered "Migratory birds (sitting woman)" in graphite on paper, capturing a figure gazing upwards. Millet lived through an era of significant social upheaval in France, including the 1848 revolution. His art often reflects the lives of rural laborers. Here, the woman's gaze draws us upward, away from the earthly, to the sky and the migratory birds. The image evokes themes of displacement and longing which are amplified by the provisional nature of a sketch. Is she an observer, or does she feel a kinship with the birds in flight? Millet's focus on the dignity and plight of the working class was groundbreaking. In its empathetic portrayal, the artwork moves us to consider the silent stories of those on the margins.