Woodcutter Making a Faggot 1853

Jean-François Millet rendered "Woodcutter Making a Faggot" with etching. Millet came of age during a time of vast social upheaval after the French Revolution, and his artistic vision was profoundly shaped by his identity as a peasant. Here we see a man, head bowed and nearly faceless, in the act of binding sticks, his labor rendered with dignity. Millet, who aimed to depict the realities of rural life without romanticizing them, focuses on the unvarnished truth of peasant existence. His work offered a counterpoint to the more idealized depictions of rural life which were popular at the time. Millet's decision to elevate the peasant to the subject of art was a radical act. He chose to represent the common laborer, a figure often overlooked or dismissed by the art world. Millet once said, "I am a peasant, and I will paint peasant things." Through his art, Millet invites us to reflect on labor, class, and the often-invisible people who sustain society. It’s a testament to Millet’s profound respect for the dignity of labor, a theme that resonates even today.