Biography of Jean-François Millet and his Major Works: Life, Career, and Legacy

Jean-François Millet was born on October 4, 1814, in Gréville-Hague, France, as the second child of Jean-Louis-Nicolas and Aimee-Henriette-Adelaide Henry Millet, modest farmers who were part of a large extended family in the rural community of Gruchy.

As a child, he attended the local school where he studied Latin and read Saint Augustine and Virgil, as well as French classical authors.

In 1833, his family sent him to Cherbourg to study portrait painting as a recognition of his talent for drawing.

Millet's studies were interrupted by the death of his father in 1835.

As the eldest son, he returned home to manage the family farm.

His grandmother, however, encouraged him to believe in signs from God, pressuring him to return to his art studies, but reminding him: "I'd rather see you dead, my son, than rebellious and unfaithful to God's commandments... Remember, Jean François, you are a Christian before being an artist." His family's unwavering faith affected him forever, as he said in later years: "The cheerful aspect of life never appears to me. I don't know what it is... The most cheerful things I know are calm and silence."

In 1837, Millet began studying with the artist Lucien-Théophile Langlois, whose support helped him receive a scholarship at the Paris School of Fine Arts.

During this period, Millet felt socially alienated and said: "I'll never be forced to bend. I'll never have the Parisian salon art imposed on me. I was born a peasant, I'll die a peasant."

Trying to find inspiration for his own artistic impulses, he frequented the Louvre Museum and was particularly drawn to the work of Nicolas Poussin and Michelangelo Buonarroti

In 1839, Millet rejected his first presentation at the Salon.

The following year, Millet married Pauline-Virginie Ono and the young couple moved to Paris, where they hoped to become successful portrait painters.

When Pauline died of tuberculosis in 1844, and his work was rejected by the Salon, Millet returned to his family's farm.

In 1845, he began a relationship with Catherine Lemaire, a young domestic worker.

The following year, a daughter was born to the couple.

Influenced by the renewed interest in rococo art and hoping for artistic success, he began painting compositions in the romantic style.

The erotic theme of his new work is associated with his wife, which damaged his relationship with his devout family.

As a result, the couple decided to move to Le Havre in southern France and later to Paris.

In 1849, living in Paris, the artist became friends with the artists Théodore Rousseau, Constant Troyon, Narcisse Diaz de la Peña, and Charles Jacque, who later formed the Barbizon School.

During this period, Millet continued to struggle to develop his own artistic style.

He competed unsuccessfully in a contest to create an allegorical painting for the Republic and presented a historical work at the Paris Salon, which was met with negative reception.

He also began to suffer from prolonged eye and rheumatic problems that affected him throughout his life.

In 1848, Millet and his family moved to Barbizon, where they joined their artist friends to found the Barbizon School.

They settled in a farmhouse that became their permanent residence.

In his letters, Millet frequently wrote about his health problems and financial concerns, declaring: "I really don't know how I'll fulfill my obligations and continue living."

The artist struggled with poverty throughout his life, trying to avoid creditors and officials, worrying about how to meet his needs, cultivating in the morning and painting in the afternoon.

In 1850, Alfred Sensier, a French government official who later became the artist's biographer, provided Millet with all the necessary artistic materials to continue producing, in exchange for occasional works of art.

He built a small building similar to a barn on one of his properties, to serve as Millet's studio.

In the early 1850s, Millet created some paintings depicting rural work scenes, such as Harvesters Resting and The Threshers, both presented at the 1857 Salon, where he was heavily criticized for his depiction of poverty.

In 1867, he exhibited nine paintings at the Paris Universal Exposition, and in 1868, he was awarded the Legion of Honor.

However, with the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War, he and his family sought refuge in Cherbourg, where they remained until 1871, during which time the artist began to focus on landscape paintings. After this episode, they returned to Barbizon.

Weakened by prolonged health problems, Millet died on January 20, 1875, in his home in Barbizon.

LEGACY

The influence of Millet's art is vast in the art world and literature.

Impressionists such as Georges Seurat admired his drawing and representations of light.

The post-impressionists, most notably Vincent van Gogh, were influenced by his themes, sculptural figures, and brushstrokes. Salvador Dalí's obsession with Millet's painting Angelus coincided with his own work when exploring religious themes.

To continue this journey, read our next article: Biography of Jean-François Millet and his Major Works: In-Depth Analysis.