Manor farm Cousin in Greville 1854

Jean-François Millet created this image of a farm in Greville with watercolor and ink. Millet uses a limited palette, yet the variations he achieves within earthy tones and the layering of washes create depth and texture, depicting the landscape's verdant foliage. You can almost feel the weight of the stones in the wall, carefully built to last. Millet’s choice of watercolor and ink, materials accessible and immediate, allows for a direct translation of observation into art. Consider the social context: France was deeply invested in its rural image, even as it modernized. Millet, born into a peasant family himself, elevates the depiction of rural life. His work reminds us that even in the most straightforward landscape, materials, making, and social context intertwine, challenging distinctions between high art and the everyday.