Artwork Page for Monsieur Martin

Details / Information for Monsieur Martin

Monsieur Martin

1840

Jean-François Millet

(French, 1814–1875)
Culture
France, 19th century
Medium
oil on fabric
Measurements
Framed: 68 x 59.7 x 10.8 cm (26 3/4 x 23 1/2 x 4 1/4 in.); Unframed: 46 x 38 cm (18 1/8 x 14 15/16 in.)
Credit Line
Bequest of Noah L. Butkin 1980.270
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

Millet and the other members of the Realist movement were renowned for not only producing realistic images, but for typically injecting their pictures with political, spiritual, or social messages. Sensitive to the human psyche and the rise of the bourgeoisie, Millet used a simple, almost monochromatic background to focus attention on the face of Monsieur Martin, a middle-class veterinarian and meat inspector. Indeed, Martin's beard, hair style, clothing, even his common French name, and the fact that he could afford portraits of himself and his wife (now lost) convey that he belonged to the prosperous middle class. This small portrait shows Millet's extraordinary skill as a painter. He depicted the highlights on Martin's face by adding patches of flat, unblended color, and some of the brushstrokes suggest the loose, quick movement of the artist's hands over the canvas.
A vertically oriented oil portrait depicts a man with light skin from the chest up, turned slightly toward our right. His face, framed by wavy brown hair and sideburns, emerges from a shadowy background. Light from our left illuminates his nose and cheek, while his blue eyes gaze at us. He wears a dark coat over a black necktie and white shirt. Red lettering reads MILLET in the bottom-left corner.

Monsieur Martin

1840

Jean-François Millet

(French, 1814–1875)
France, 19th century

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