Jean François Millet 1868 Etching "Auvergnat Goatherd Spinning"

Item Details

Jean François Millet (France, 1814 – 1875)
Auvergnat Goatherd Spinning, 1868
Etching on cream laid paper
Signed in plate “J.F. Millet” to the lower right
Dated “1868” and marked “sx” to the lower margin of paper

An etching on paper titled Auvergnat Goatherd Spinning by renowned French artist Jean François Millet (1814-1875), dated 1868. This work depicts a peasant woman spinning wool under one arm while surrounded by goats in a rural terrain. Other versions of this work, including paintings, drawings, and etchings were produced by the artist beginning in 1866, when he visited the region with his wife. This piece is signed in plate ‘J.F. Millet’ to the lower right. The date ‘1868’ and inscription ‘sx’ are present to the lower margin. The composition is presented under glass with fabric matting, and housed in a wood frame with gilt finish.

Jean François Millet was a major French Realist artist known for his depictions of rural French peasant life. The artist was revolutionary for portraying the hardships, yet heroic and dignifying, lifestyles of agricultural laborers, earning himself a label as a ‘Socialist revolutionary’. Although the artist struggled for decades to receive recognition, his work was occasionally accepted into the Parisian Salons. He received a medal at the 1867 Exposition Universelle and the Légion d’Honneur in 1868. Today, his work can be viewed in numerous prestigious museums including the Musée d’Orsay; the Museum of Modern Art; the J. Paul Getty Museum; and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, among others.

Condition

- minor wear throughout the frame; toning throughout the paper, especially along the sight edge.

Dimensions

- measures the frame; sheet size 10" W x 13.75" H; plate size 5.25" W x 7.75" H.

Item #

ITMG178739