Woman Baking Bread c. 1852 - 1856

Curator: This is Jean-François Millet's "Woman Baking Bread," an undated drawing housed at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: The immediate mood is one of quiet domesticity, softened by the diffused light. It also speaks to a kind of timeless labor. Curator: Millet, known for his sympathetic portrayals of rural life, captures something essential here. Bread, an age-old staple, takes on a mythic quality. Editor: Yes, the oven resembles a dark mouth, almost primordial. And the woman herself, her face obscured, becomes an archetype. The bread, its promise of nourishment, is what shines. Curator: It reminds me of those early myths where goddesses baked the first loaves—the ritualistic element of feeding and sustaining. Editor: Seeing it that way, it transforms from a simple scene into something deeply evocative. You know, it's almost like a secret, isn’t it? Curator: Absolutely, a secret passed down through generations. It makes me think about the weight of tradition and the importance of small, everyday acts.