The Little Shepherdess by Jean-François Millet

The Little Shepherdess 1868 - 1872

jeanfrancoismillet

gouache

figurative

impressionist painting style

possibly oil pastel

oil painting

acrylic on canvas

underpainting

painting painterly

watercolour bleed

watercolour illustration

watercolor

"The Little Shepherdess" is a painting by Jean-François Millet from 1868-1872. The painting depicts a young shepherdess standing in a field with her flock of sheep, the scene bathed in a soft, golden light. Millet's signature style of depicting the lives of working-class people in rural France is evident, the shepherdess is a humble figure, yet her gaze is full of quiet dignity. The painting exemplifies the Barbizon school, a movement that embraced realism in their depictions of rural life and landscapes.