Landscape, Vichy (ca. 1866–67, Met-Objekt 4892)
Original title: Landscape, Vichy
kurzbeschreibung
Jean-François Millet records a landscape close to nature in Landschaft, Vichy (around 1866–67). The sheet is worked in pen and brown iron gall ink, with brush and brown and green wash over graphite, and measures 11.3 x 15.5 cm.
Description
The layout runs horizontally. Across the foreground lie flat, rippling shapes that read as a stream or small river. Their lines are thin and shift in weight, pointing to the brush. Beyond them stand trees and bushes in a mix of brown and green tones. Light falls evenly, with no strong shadows or hard contrasts, suggesting a daytime scene.
Context
Millet drew this sheet during a stay at the French spa town of Vichy, where he was taking a cure. The sketch dates from a period when he was turning more strongly toward landscape, having first become known above all for his figure subjects. It belongs to a group of landscape studies made in the 1860s.
Impact
The muted, natural color and the loose, irregular structure make the landscape feel seen spontaneously and directly. Horizontal water lines and vertical tree lines balance each other, giving the image a calm, even effect.
Technique
Millet drew with pen and brown iron gall ink, adding brush and brown and green wash. The wash sits over a graphite underdrawing and allows fine gradations of tone. Varying stroke weight and the combination of ink and watercolor technique give the sheet its characteristic liveliness.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)