Artwork Page for The Sick Child

Details / Information for The Sick Child

The Sick Child

1858

Jean-François Millet

(French, 1814–1875)
Culture
France, 19th century
Medium
black crayon; framing lines in black crayon
Support
Vellum
Measurements
Sheet: 40.4 x 32.1 cm (15 7/8 x 12 5/8 in.); Image: 32.9 x 24.9 cm (12 15/16 x 9 13/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Paul J. Vignos Jr. 1998.300
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print

Description

Jean-François Millet’s paintings of French rural life, especially those of peasants and farmers in their working environment, redefined the imagery of everyday life in the nineteenth century. Large-scale paintings such as The Gleaners (1857) presented the poorest of laborers with a dignity and nobility informed by classical traditions in French painting. At the same time he was working on major paintings for public exhibitions, Millet was also making smaller-scale drawings. Since drawings were less expensive, there was a much larger market for this type of work, and Millet created finished sheets in both black crayon and pastel as he catered to this demand. The work shown here is the first version of a theme the artist drew again in pastel in a more finished version (now lost). This crayon drawing shows, on the other hand, Millet’s thinking process. We can see him working out the composition because several changes are visible, most notably in the bowl held by the father and the cat in the window. Though taken from everyday life, Millet’s tender treatment of this family group recalls the biblical subject of the Holy Family.
A vertically oriented drawing in black crayon depicts an interior framed by dark lines. On our left, a man wearing a wide-brimmed hat and wooden clogs stands in a doorway holding a bowl. To our right, a woman with a head covering sits on a bench, tilting her head toward a bundled child in her lap. A cat perches on a shelf behind her. Dense parallel strokes create deep shadows across the figures and floor.

The Sick Child

1858

Jean-François Millet

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

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