Cooling the Porridge (1861, Met-Objekt 4906)
Original title: Cooling the Porridge
kurzbeschreibung
Jean-François Millet made the etching 'Das Abkühlen des Breis' (Cooling the Porridge) in 1861. A peasant woman sits with a child on her lap in a bare interior. This impression is the third of five states.
Description
Light entering from the side first draws the eye to the seated woman in a simple dress and head covering, her hand resting gently on the child on her lap. Behind her emerge a wall and a shelf holding various objects. The arrangement places the touch between mother and child at its center; fine hatching and lines run throughout the entire view.
Context
Millet made this etching in 1861, when he was deeply engaged with peasant life. It was based on an 1860 painting now in the Musée d'Orsay. A member of the Barbizon school, he portrayed rural France in the nineteenth century and emphasized the dignity of work and family.
Impact
A quiet, familiar mood emanates from the print: the soft light and restrained linework make the closeness between mother and child seem calm and thoughtful. Sentimental exaggeration is absent; the viewer is not pushed but invited to linger.
Technique
Executed as an etching (with drypoint) on paper, in the third of five states. Delicate lines and hatching produce a monochrome image with subtle tonal values, characteristic of Millet's printmaking.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)