Cooling the Porridge (1861, Met-Objekt 4902)
Original title: Cooling the Porridge
kurzbeschreibung
Jean-François Millet etched 'Das Abkühlen des Breis' (Cooling the Porridge) in 1861 on laid paper; this impression is the fifth state of five. A woman and a child appear in a plainly furnished interior—a rustic everyday subject that the artist captured with delicate lines.
Description
A seated woman holds a child on her lap and offers it food or drink. She wears a simple headscarf and a plain dress; the room remains bare. On the wall, vertical stripes suggest a curtain or decoration. A basket and possibly a cloth or blanket rest on a table. The image is black and white, structured by fine lines and hatching; the signature 'J.F. Millet 1861' appears at the lower edge.
Context
Millet made this etching in 1861, when he was deeply engaged with the life of rural people. The mother-and-child motif is central to his art, which emphasizes dignity and intimacy in peasant daily life. As a print, it circulated alongside his paintings. It belongs to a group of works from the 1860s that survive in several states.
Impact
The view feels quiet and intimate; few elements direct the eye to the bond between mother and child. The fine linework gives the scene a delicate, almost sketch-like quality and captures everyday life without idealization.
Technique
Executed as an etching on laid paper, the sheet is in the fifth state of five. Etched lines create depth and shading through hatching. The plate measures 18.5 x 16 cm, the full sheet 28 x 18.8 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)