Jean-Francois Millet

About the Artist

Jean-François Millet, who lived from 1814 to 1875, was a French painter, a leading figure of the Barbizon school associated with Realism. Through paintings themed on the everyday lives of peasants and nature, he realized the Realist spirit of honestly depicting reality. Millet's work warmly conveys the hard lives of rural laborers, reflecting a degree of social concern. His signature work 'The Gleaners' depicts peasant labor and is regarded as a leading achievement of Realism. His art marked a turning point in late-19th-century art, going on to have a major influence on Impressionist and Naturalist painters.