The Reaper 1853

Jean-François Millet created "The Reaper," a block print, during a period of significant social change, as the Industrial Revolution was rapidly reshaping French society. Millet, who was himself of peasant stock, sought to depict the dignity of rural labor, often overlooked and undervalued at the time. Here, we see a solitary figure, bowed over in the field, engaged in the arduous work of harvesting. There’s a sense of both the beauty and the hardship of this life. Millet's choice to focus on the figure's labor, the physical strain evident in his posture, elevates the peasant class, who were typically absent in the art world. "I have never seen angels," Millet once said. "I have never painted them." He sought to depict the real, lived experiences of the people around him, not idealized versions. This image reflects a desire to represent the human condition with honesty and empathy, giving a voice to those whose stories were often unheard. It reminds us to consider the lives and labor of those who sustain us.