Man with a Hoe Gm-00012101

Jean-François Millet (French, 1814–1875) Sometimes, in places where the land is sterile, you see figures hoeing and digging. From time to time one raises himself and straightens his back, ...wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. 'Thou shalt eat thy bread in the sweat of thy brow.' Is this the gay, jovial work some people would have us believe in? But nevertheless, to me it is true humanity and great poetry.

Thus wrote Jean-François Millet about his favorite subject, agricultural laborers. Despite his philosophical intentions, these subjects earned him accusations of Socialist leanings. When he exhibited Man with a Hoe at the Salon of 1862, it quickly became one of the most controversial pictures of mid-1800s France. He probably made this drawing as a preparatory study for that painting, now also in the Getty Museum.

In this drawing, Millet concentrated on the man, showing his face as less brutish, less exhausted, and more defined than in the finished painting. He used subtle additions of white chalk to render the clouds in the sky and the sun's highlights on the farmer's shirt. Drawn on buff paper, the entire scene has a soft, hazy quality achieved with a technique known as stumping.

High Quality Wood Framed Print using museum quality paper and archival inks with a mat for a contemporary look. Comes with Acrylite glazing and hanging hardware. These are Made in USA or Europe depending upon your location.

Stretched Canvas is stretched over 1.25" thick pine bars and printed on heavy cotton poly matte finish canvas. Comes with mounting brackets. These are Made in USA or Europe depending upon your location.

Giclee Prints are printed on 250 gsm Matte Paper with the finest archival inks. Each print carries a white border around the perimeter. The listed size refers to the overall paper dimensions. The image is printed proportionally within this paper size and includes a small white border. These are Made in USA or Europe depending upon your location.

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Artwork in this collection is from The J. Paul Getty Museum. Reproduction rights are reserved by the copyright owner and used under license by Archivea.