1814–1875 · French
Jean-François Millet
Millet could plough a field in the morning, paint in the afternoon, and recite Shakespeare at night. He was the eldest son of farming parents in Gruchy, Normandy, near the coast, and he said: a peasant I was born, a peasant I will die.
Biography
Two village priests educated him in Latin and literature before he was pulled back to farm work. He eventually reached Paris, where he lived in poverty for a period, painting in a damp cellar. His first wife died of tuberculosis three years after their 1841 marriage. He later had nine children with Catherine Lemaire.
The Gleaners (1857) and The Angelus (1857-59) made him famous and controversial. Both depict peasants at work with a dignity that unnerved the bourgeoisie, who saw political radicalism in the simple act of painting agricultural labourers as worthy subjects. The Angelus became one of the most widely reproduced images in the world.
Van Gogh was obsessed with him. While in the asylum at Saint-Remy in late 1889 and early 1890, Van Gogh made twenty-one copies of Millet's paintings over three months, translating them into his own colour and brushwork. Millet died in 1875, co-founder of the Barbizon school and the painter who gave peasant life a permanent place in art.
Timeline
- 1814Born in Gruchy, a hamlet near Greville on the Normandy coast, into a farming family.
- 1837Arrived in Paris aged 23 after studying art in Cherbourg. Enrolled in the studio of Paul Delaroche.
- 1844His first wife Pauline Ono died of tuberculosis aged 23 after three years of marriage. Millet was 29, struggling in poverty in Paris.
- 1848Exhibited The Winnower at the Salon aged 34, his first major peasant subject. The painting marked a turning point toward the rural themes that would define his career.
- 1849Left Paris aged 35 and settled in Barbizon, a hamlet at the edge of the Forest of Fontainebleau. He would remain there for the rest of his life.
- 1857Completed The Gleaners and began The Angelus, aged 43, at Barbizon. Both became among the most recognised paintings of the nineteenth century.
- 1865Awarded the Legion of Honour aged 51, after years of critical hostility from those who read political radicalism into his depictions of peasant labour.
- 1875Died at Barbizon on 20 January aged 60. Married his long-time partner Catherine Lemaire in a religious ceremony just weeks before his death.
Notable Works
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Where to See Jean-François Millet
19 museums worldwide.
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84 worksMuseum of Fine Arts Boston
Boston, United States
Sun-Mon 10:00-17:00, Tue closed, Wed 10:00-17:00, Thu-Fri 10:00-22:00, Sat 10:00-17:00
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58 worksMusée d'Orsay
Paris, France
Tue–Sun 09:30–18:00 (Thu until 21:45); closed Mon · €16 adults
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26 worksYamanashi Prefectural Museum of Art
Kōfu, Japan
Tue-Sun 09:00-17:00, closed Mon
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16 worksMetropolitan Museum of Art
New York City, United States
Sun–Tue, Thu 10:00–17:00; Fri–Sat 10:00–21:00; closed Wed · Adults $30, students $17 (pay-what-you-wish for NY residents)
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18 works
Art Institute of Chicago
Chicago, United States
Mon 11:00-17:00, Tue closed, Wed 11:00-17:00, Thu 11:00-20:00, Fri-Sun 11:00-17:00 · $32 adults (Chicago/Illinois residents less; under 14 free)
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Jean-François Millet prints
Hand-finished archival prints from Jean-François Millet's body of work.
The Gleaners - Jean-François Millet
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Death and the Woodcutter - Jean-François Millet
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Woman with a Rake - Jean-François Millet
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Dandelions - Jean-François Millet
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The Man with the Hoe - Jean-François Millet
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The Wool Carder - Jean-François Millet
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See all Jean-François Millet prints →Frequently Asked Questions
How did jean françois millet die?
Jean-François Millet died in 1875 at the age of 61.Jean francois millet art movement?
Jean-François Millet was a co-founder of the Barbizon school.What is Jean-François Millet's most famous work?
Jean-François Millet (1814-1875) is often called the painter of peasants. He is best known for works that depict rural life with dignity. Millet was born into a farming family in Gruchy, France. He studied art in Paris with Paul Delaroche at the École des Beaux-Arts. After the 1848 French Revolution, he relocated to Barbizon and began to focus on rural subjects. He became part of the Barbizon School, a group that rejected classical traditions and embraced naturalism. They often painted outdoors. Millet's most famous work is likely *The Gleaners*. Completed in 1857, it shows three peasant women gathering leftover grain after the harvest. The painting transforms what could be seen as heart-breaking poverty into an image of epic heroism. Some contemporary viewers considered Millet's peasant pictures to be radical due to their social realism. By the 1860s, Millet achieved both fame and financial success. He received the Légion d’Honneur in 1868. His work had considerable influence on later artists, including Pissarro, Seurat, and van Gogh.What should I know about Jean-François Millet's prints?
Jean-François Millet is best known as a painter, but he also produced a number of original prints, mainly etchings and lithographs. He approached printmaking as an extension of his painting practice, exploring similar themes and compositions. Millet's prints often depict rural life and peasant subjects, reflecting his interest in the everyday experiences of agricultural workers. His images, such as "The Sower" (1851) and "Woman Carding Wool" (1855), present these figures with dignity and respect, avoiding sentimentality. Technically, Millet's prints are characterised by their strong tonal contrasts and simplified forms. He used etching to create dark, atmospheric effects, often employing heavy lines and aquatint to build up shadows. In his lithographs, he explored softer, more painterly effects, using crayon and wash techniques to create subtle gradations of tone. Although Millet's print output was relatively small compared to his paintings, his prints were admired by collectors and other artists. His prints circulated widely and helped to establish his reputation as a leading figure in the Realist movement. They also influenced later generations of printmakers who were drawn to his subject matter and his expressive use of light and shadow.What style or movement did Jean-François Millet belong to?
Jean-François Millet (1814-1875) is often associated with the Realist movement, although his work also connects to the Barbizon School. Born into a farming family in Normandy, Millet depicted rural life and peasant subjects with empathy. After studying in Cherbourg and Paris, Millet initially painted portraits. Around 1848, he befriended artists from the Barbizon School, a group that rejected classical traditions and painted outdoors, "en plein air". Inspired by English and 17th-century Dutch artists, they focused on objective depictions of landscapes. Millet moved to Barbizon after a cholera outbreak in Paris, and he began to concentrate on scenes of rural life. Millet's paintings often presented peasants with dignity, which was admired by some but criticised by conservatives who saw it as subversive. Unlike Gustave Courbet's Realism, Millet's style avoided dark, dramatic contrasts. His paintings, such as "The Gleaners", aimed to show the peasant world with careful attention to colour and tone. Although controversial at times, Millet gained recognition and influenced later artists, including Pissarro, Seurat, and van Gogh.What techniques or materials did Jean-François Millet use?
Jean-François Millet's artistic techniques involved a combination of memory, life studies, and studio models. He was not an outdoor painter; he preferred the controlled light of his studio. Millet often used earth colours, echoing the soil he depicted. His paint surfaces show heavy working of shadows and lights, a technique reminiscent of the 18th-century French painter Chardin. In later works, he used brightly tinted grounds to create an effect of coloured light. His paint application varied: stiff and impasted in the highlights, thin and fluid in the middle tones and shadows, a traditional method. However, he sometimes used unconventional impasto in the shadows. To create textured surfaces, Millet dragged stiff, dryish colour across dry paint on textured canvas, resulting in a stippled effect. His graphic techniques, especially in large pastels, featured a web of pale powdery colour strengthened by firm outlines. In oil paintings, he exploited the transparency and opacity of pigments to imitate natural effects, using thin, transparent browns over a pale ground for water in shadow and opaque whites and blues for surface reflections.What was jean francois millet known for?
Jean-François Millet is known for giving peasant life a permanent place in art.What was Jean-François Millet known for?
Jean-François Millet (1814-1875) is best known for his Realist paintings of rural life, particularly his sympathetic depictions of peasants. Born into a farming family in Normandy, he initially trained as a portrait painter after studying in Cherbourg and Paris. Around 1848, he shifted his focus to scenes of peasant life, a theme that would define his career. He settled in Barbizon, joining a group of painters who rejected classical traditions and painted outdoors. Millet's work often portrayed the hard labour and simple dignity of rural workers. For example, *The Gleaners* shows women collecting leftover grain after the harvest, a task reserved for the poorest members of society. His paintings were not without controversy; some viewed his sympathetic portrayal of peasants as a political statement, particularly after the Revolution of 1848. While some criticised what they saw as a glorification of peasants, others admired his approach. By the 1860s, Millet achieved financial success and critical recognition. His work had a considerable effect on later artists, including Pissarro, Seurat and van Gogh.When did jean francois millet die?
Jean-François Millet died in 1875 at the age of 61.When did Jean-François Millet live and work?
Jean-François Millet was born in 1814, and he died in 1875. Born into a family of farmers in Normandy, France, he was well educated. He initially studied art in Cherbourg and Paris. He began his career creating portraits, using a dark palette that reflected his appreciation for 17th-century Spanish painting and Rembrandt. Around 1848, Millet befriended some of the Barbizon School painters. In that same year, he created his first painting of peasant life, *Le Vanneur* (The Grain Sifter). After a cholera outbreak in Paris in 1848, Millet settled in Barbizon. For the remainder of his career, he focused on depictions of rural life. His 1857 painting *The Gleaners* is one such example. Some critics saw his work as a glorification of peasants; others viewed his paintings as sympathetic portrayals of hard-working people.Where did jean francois millet live?
Jean-François Millet lived in Paris for a period, painting in a damp cellar.Where was jean francois millet born?
Jean-François Millet was born in 1814 in France. Jean-François Millet died in 1875, aged 61.
Sources
Editorial draws on the following primary and tertiary references for Jean-François Millet.
- [1] book Susie Hodge, Art: Everything You Need to Know About the Greatest Artists and Their Work Used for: biography.
- [2] book Penelope J.E. Davies, Walter B. Denny, Frima Fox Hofrichter, Joseph Jacobs, Ann S. Roberts, David L. Simon, Janson's History of Art_ The Western Tradition (8th Edition) Used for: biography.
Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-07-15. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.
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