At the close of such a day's labor in the field he will be too utterly weary to sit up and read, as most of our farmers do during these days of farm machinery and rural delivery. And yet, there were some who did read even in those days when work was so difficult, for we know that Millet sat up many nights with the village priest, who taught him reading and arithmetic, and with whom he studied Latin and read the works of Shakespeare. It was due to this greater knowledge that Millet became something more than a mere peasant. It was this that gave him such perfect sympathy with and keen insight into the peasants' lives. His own knowledge of the world made him more conscious of the great contrast between their narrow, hard-working lives so full of privation, and those of the men and women in the great world outside so full of opportunity and promise. Yet even in so great a city as Paris, men could starve, as he had found out by his own experience.
Perhaps Millet wished to make us feel the content of a successful day's work such as this, with its well-earned quiet and rest, free from the hurry and noise of the city. Although the sun is sinking over a world of beauty and pleasure, our sower knows nothing and cares for nothing except the accomplishment of his task. His hat, pulled down over his face, shades his heavy, coarse features. Although an expert in his work, doing to the utmost, his mind is probably dull and slow and quite unequal to any great mental task. And yet what a great work is his, after all! How dependent we are upon the men of whom he is a type! The fact that he is doing his own work and doing that work well compels our respect and admiration.
The light from the sun disappearing behind the hill brings out in silhouette the figure of the sower turned toward the dark and earthy field. This man is not posing for his picture. Quite unconscious of our gaze, he swings briskly forward, his feet sinking slightly into the newly plowed field. From the bag hanging from his shoulder he scatters the grain with a long sweep of his strong right arm.
He is actually moving in the picture. Take this position for yourself. The weight of the body falls evenly upon both feet. To raise either foot you must move the entire body. As the right foot goes forward the right arm goes back. If you try taking long strides and swinging your arms you will find this is the natural movement.
The horizon line is slanting or diagonal, and divides the light part of the picture from the dark. The sky and ground are held together by the figure of the sower. Notice the absence of details in the picture.
The art critics of Millet's day did not appreciate the great thought expressed in this picture, for nearly all of them found fault with it. They could see no beauty in "a common laborer in his dirty clothes doing his miserable work," and thought Millet should have chosen something more beautiful to paint. What do you think of the justice of this criticism? What is your opinion of the beauty of this picture? Millet loved these simple, kind-hearted, hard-working peasants, loved their lives of toil in the fields, respected their labors, and being so wholly in sympathy with them, he wished to make us feel so, too.
Questions to help the pupil understand the picture. Where is the man? in what country? How can you tell what time of the day it is? Why does he not seem weary? Why do you think he must be very tired? How early do the French peasants usually start to work? What must this man do before daybreak? Why do you think he is not lazy? Why do we respect and admire him? How could his work be made easier now? How do most of our farmers sow and plant their seed? How did this man plow his ground? What is a harrow for? What kind of a harrow did this man have? What is the team of oxen at the farther end of the field doing? Does this man seem to be looking at the ground or far ahead? How did the artist, Millet, know so much about this kind of work? What would this man probably do after his day's work? Why did he not read the newspaper, as our farmers do? What did Millet do in the evening? How did this help him? What did Millet wish to make us feel in this picture? How does the horizon line divide the picture? How are the sky and ground held together? Why do you suppose Millet did not paint details, such as the features of the face or the buttons on the coat? What did the critics say about this picture? How many agree with them? why? why not?
To the Teacher: Ask one of the pupils to take this position while the others sketch the action, finishing the sketch from memory—and adding their own background. Use ink silhouette, or charcoal on manila paper.
The story of the artist. Jean François Millet was the son of poor French peasants who lived on a farm and worked hard to take care of their large family of eight children. Jean was the eldest boy. The father was very fond of music and of all beautiful things out of doors, and often he would say to his son, "Look at that tree, how large and beautiful! It is as beautiful as a flower." He would call the boy's attention to the beauty of the fields, the sunsets, and all things around them.
Millet's mother worked out in the fields with the father all day long, so it was the grandmother who took care of the little boy. It was she who named him Jean after his father, and François after the good Saint Francis. She was a deeply religious woman, and nearly all the pictures Millet saw when a boy were those in her Bible. He copied these pictures many times, drawing them with white chalk on the stone walls of the house. This pleased his grandmother very much, and she encouraged him all she could.