Potato Planters c. 1861

"Potato Planters" (c. 1861) by Jean-François Millet is a poignant depiction of rural life in 19th-century France. The painting, which is a hallmark of the Realism movement, portrays a peasant couple working the land. The woman, in a simple blue dress, is dropping potatoes into freshly dug holes while the man, bent over, uses a hoe. Their focus on the task at hand highlights the hard labor and simplicity of their lives. The donkey in the background adds to the scene's rural setting and reinforces the painting's theme of hard work and humble existence.