Sketches of Three Subjects c. 1855

Curator: This etching, entitled "Sketches of Three Subjects," was created by Jean-François Millet around 1855. I find its rough and unfinished character immediately appealing. What's your first take on it? Editor: Well, the composition strikes me as somewhat disjointed, a collection of vignettes rather than a cohesive scene. The dark, scratchy lines contribute to a feeling of unrest, of unsettledness. Curator: I think that unsettled feeling might stem from Millet's focus on the rural working class, often marginalized and overlooked in artistic representations of the time. He aimed to depict the realities of peasant life, their struggles and their connection to the land. This print almost reads like a manifesto of working class pride in mid 19th-century France. Editor: From a formal standpoint, look at the balance – or imbalance – between the solid forms and the open space. The stark contrast emphasizes the figures' isolation within the larger composition. I’m particularly drawn to how the artist uses line weight to direct the eye. Curator: Exactly. These aren't romanticized pastoral scenes. Millet gives us figures burdened by labor and social constraints. In this way, Millet critiques the social hierarchy of the period and demands that we reconsider the place of rural people in our shared understanding of French identity. Editor: True. The way he segments the images also fragments any possibility of constructing a traditional narrative; instead, we have a series of glimpses into the lives of these individuals. It prompts questions more than it offers answers. Curator: And isn’t that exactly the point? Millet isn't offering an answer, but demanding a conversation. A challenge to the prevailing artistic norms. And more broadly, a societal confrontation about inequality, about class, about access. Editor: Well, whatever Millet's intent, the print is undoubtedly effective. It embodies a rawness that I find very affecting. Curator: Agreed. Millet really captures an enduring perspective in these working class subjects. It resonates, perhaps even more strongly, today. Editor: I'm leaving this artwork seeing value in the deconstruction of pictorial space that it proposes; very unusual for the period.