Jean-Francois Millet Oil Painting Reproductions

Bringing the Quiet Dignity of Jean-Francois Millet into Your Home

This collection offers 56 hand-painted oil reproductions of works by jean francois millet that you can have painted for your own walls. Millet is noted for his paintings of peasant farmers and can be categorized as part of the Realism art movement. ¹ Realism was an art style that showed everyday life exactly as it was, without glorifying it.

These quiet, grounding scenes bring a peaceful atmosphere to any room. You might choose The Angelus, which was completed during the summer of 1857 and was originally titled Prayer for the Potato Crop. ¹ This famous work is currently housed in the Musée d'Orsay in Paris. ¹

From Cherbourg Portraits to the Fields of Barbizon

Millet's journey to the countryside was a long one. In 1833, Millet's father sent him to Cherbourg to study with a portrait painter named Bon Du Mouchel. ¹ By 1835, he was studying with Théophile Langlois de Chèvreville in Cherbourg. ¹ A stipend enabled him to move to Paris in 1837, where he studied at the École des Beaux-Arts with Paul Delaroche. ¹

In 1839, his scholarship was terminated, and his first Salon submission was rejected. ¹ After his first portrait was accepted at the Salon of 1840, he returned to Cherbourg as a portrait painter. ¹ In 1845, he moved to Le Havre to paint portraits before returning to Paris. ¹

Millet achieved his first Salon success in 1847 with Oedipus Taken down from the Tree. ¹ In June 1849, he settled in Barbizon with Catherine and their children. ¹ Jean-François Millet was a French painter and one of the founders of the Barbizon school in rural France. ¹ This group painted directly from nature.

In 1850, he entered into an arrangement with Alfred Sensier, who provided materials and money for paintings. ¹ At the 1850 Salon, he exhibited The Sower, his first major masterpiece. ¹ In 1857, he submitted The Gleaners to the Salon to a hostile public. ¹

In 1865, Emile Gavet began commissioning pastels from him for a collection that eventually included 90 works. ¹ In 1870, he was elected to the Salon jury. ¹ Toward the end of his career, Millet became increasingly interested in painting pure landscapes. ¹

Selecting the Right Millet Scene and Size for Your Wall

When choosing a piece for your home, consider the quiet beauty of The Young Shepherdess. In 1984, scientists at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston x-rayed this 1870 painting and discovered it was painted over an earlier work. ¹ Another wonderful option is Shepherd Tending His Flock, which Millet painted in the early 1860s. ¹

These works fit beautifully alongside other paintings from the Realism movement or Vincent's own canvases, as both artists loved rural subjects. You can also hang them near works by Edouard Manet to show the transition of French art. Millet's work also appears on our list of the one hundred most famous paintings, which features some of the world's most celebrated historical artworks.

Each reproduction is hand-painted in oil on museum-grade linen, brushstroke by brushstroke. Framing is optional. With prices starting from $350, you can easily find a piece that fits your wall. Seven sizes are listed, but you can commission any size, including the original proportion, through our custom-order page.

Sources

1. en.wikipedia.org