The Month of August: The Gleaners c. 1851 - 1852

Editor: Here we have Jean-François Millet’s "The Month of August: The Gleaners." The medium here looks like charcoal or crayon, and the scene feels both monumental and desolate. What strikes you about this work? Curator: Millet often depicted rural laborers, idealizing their work while also subtly critiquing the social structures that kept them impoverished. Consider the figures' bowed postures. How does Millet frame the act of gleaning—collecting leftover crops—within the broader context of 19th-century French society and its treatment of the poor? Editor: It’s fascinating how he elevates this back-breaking labor. I see a powerful commentary about class and survival. Curator: Exactly. Millet’s focus on the dignity of labor, especially in a time of rapid industrialization, challenged the prevailing artistic norms and sparked social debate. It prompts us to reflect on art’s capacity to shape and reflect societal values.