Peasants Going to Work 1863

Curator: Today we're looking at Jean-François Millet's "Peasants Going to Work," a pencil drawing rendered in 1863, presently housed here at The Art Institute of Chicago. Editor: My first impression is one of somber determination. The sketch uses delicate pencil strokes, yet there's a pronounced weightiness, especially in the figures’ clothing and posture, which speaks volumes. Curator: Indeed. Millet's Realist approach comes through by representing the lives of rural workers, capturing both their struggles and their dignity. The very act of depicting laborers elevates them as subjects worthy of artistic consideration. Look at the woman's head covering. It suggests more than protection from the sun; it signifies her place in the social hierarchy and gendered labor. Editor: Structurally, Millet’s skillful use of shading gives form and depth to otherwise simple outlines. It transforms a seemingly straightforward composition into an expressive tableau of hardship and resilience, emphasized by their solemn profiles. Curator: Consider also the social context. Millet, active during a period of significant social upheaval, aimed to connect viewers with the realities of peasant life. He sought to portray not an idealized version of rural existence, but the hard work and simple tools these workers relied on daily. Editor: Yes, and while his subject matter reveals a social reality, it is the very materiality of the pencil strokes and their gradations across the paper which conveys so clearly both light and shadow—essential to evoke this powerful sense of space. Curator: Ultimately, "Peasants Going to Work" encapsulates the era's socio-political landscape through the artistic rendering of everyday lives. The medium of pencil allows a mass production for consumption on paper through print. Editor: What truly stands out is the way such basic materials, so plainly applied, become a lens through which the labor of survival is perceived. A profound work from, seemingly, the simplest of gestures.