Study: Nude Woman Seen from the Back (recto) Sketches of Peasants Working (verso) c. 1846

This charcoal drawing by French artist Jean-François Millet, created around 1846, depicts a nude woman seen from the back. The study, which is housed in the Art Institute of Chicago, demonstrates Millet's keen eye for capturing the human form through its delicate lines and nuanced shading. The work also highlights Millet's early exploration of the human figure as a subject, which he later incorporated into his more famous peasant scenes. Millet's interest in the rural working class, combined with his masterful use of line and tone, established him as a central figure in the Barbizon School, a movement that celebrated the natural world and the lives of ordinary people.