6745 - Millet, Jean François

Millet, Jean François Seated Peasant Woman. Graphite and black chalk on ivory-colored vellum. 13.3 x 8.9 cm. Monogrammed "J.F.M." In the late 1840s, Jean-François Millet began painting scenes from peasant life and work, the realism of which was the subject of heated debate among his contemporaries. This drawing can likely be dated to around 1855–65, when Millet created several paintings depicting interior scenes of women at work. The figures and interior designs reflect Millet’s engagement with 17th-century Dutch art as well as with the works of Jean-Siméon Chardin. The artist has sensitively observed a scene from everyday life. A peasant woman sits on a bench in a contemplative pose, her forearms crossed, the tip of her right foot resting over her left. There is something questioning and a touching modesty in the older woman’s facial expression and posture. Stylistically comparable are, for example, the preparatory studies for *The Mother Feeding Her Child* in the Louvre (Inv. RF 11252) and in Boston (Museum of Fine Arts, Inv. 76.434), as well as preliminary sketches for *The Knitting Lesson* in Boston (Inv. 1994.117) and Pittsburgh (Frick Art and Historical Center, Inv. 1984.1). - We ask that you request condition reports for the lots, as the condition is listed in the catalog only in exceptional cases. - Please ask for condition reports for individual lots, as the condition is usually not mentioned in the catalog.