The Angelus (1857-9) |
He continued to receive mixed reviews for
paintings he sent to the Salon, but a steady stream of commissions ensured
that he was never short of money. Other important works include Harvesters
Resting, 1850, The Walk to Work, 1851, Woman Baking Bread, 1854 (Kroller-Muller
Museum, Otterlo), The Gleaners, 1857 (Musée d'Orsay) and The Potato
Planters, 1861. At the beginning of 1860 a patron contracted him to paint
25 works in return for a three year stipend, and another patron commissioned
pastel works for a collection
which would grow to over 90. The Gleaners, The Angelus and the Potato
Planters were exhibited at the Exposition Universelle, which hosted a
major gathering of his works. In 1868 he was named Chevalier de la Légion
d'Honneur
Later in life his palette tended to lighten
somewhat, and as his brushstrokes loosened, he veered towards Impressionism.
However, unlike the Impressionists, he never painted outdoors, and he
never paid too much attention to tonal values. It was his draughtsmanship
that appealed to artists like Van Gogh (who
mentioned Millet's work several times in letters to his brother) and Georges-Pierre
Seurat.
Although he was accused of being a socialist,
he did not accept the idea that 'honest toil' is good for the heart, and
tended to think that many peasants were ignorant and oblivious to the
beauty of the countryside. And although he was called a Realist, his paintings
had an almost religious gloss to them, which made them more acceptable
and profitable at the time. Nevertheless, he had a huge influence on other
younger artists including Eugene Boudin, Claude Monet
and Pablo Picasso. In 1875 he married his partner
Catherine, and died 17 days later.
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