Shepherd Returning With His Flock c. 1860

"Shepherd Returning With His Flock" is a charcoal drawing by Jean-François Millet, a prominent figure in the Barbizon school, executed around 1860. The drawing captures a simple yet evocative scene of a shepherd leading his flock home under a somber, overcast sky. Millet's signature style, characterized by realistic depictions of rural life and peasant labor, is evident in the detailed rendering of the shepherd's worn clothing and the sheep's huddled forms. The composition, with the shepherd silhouetted against the cloudy sky, emphasizes the figure's solitary existence and the cyclical nature of agricultural work.