The Diggers (1830–75)
Original title: The Diggers
kurzbeschreibung
Jean-François Millet's etching The Graves was made sometime between 1830 and 1875 and is represented here by the first of its four states. Printed in black and white on heavy wove paper, the sheet depicts two labourers turning over a field with their spades.
Description
Two men stand in the foreground, lifting earth with their spades, their plain traditional work clothes drawn with clear outlines. The layout runs horizontally: beyond the figures a broad open landscape unfolds beneath a cloudy sky. Fine lines and hatching model the surface of the soil and the folds of the garments. Light stays diffuse and evenly spread, with no hard shadows.
Context
Millet gave much of his painting and printmaking to peasant life, and this etching belongs to that same world. It falls between 1830 and 1875, though a more exact date is uncertain. A member of the Barbizon School, he put the hard labour of country people at the centre of his work. Four states of the print exist, and this impression is the first, which gives a look at how Millet worked on the plate.
Impact
From the first glance the diffuse light draws the eye to the bent figures and their spades; the wide expanse behind them makes the physical effort almost palpable. A quiet, serious mood settles over the scene, stressing the hardship of the work without softening it. The viewer is led toward the dignity of the two labourers, and the realistic, closely observed execution strengthens that impression at once.
Technique
The etching on heavy wove paper is executed in black and white. Fine lines and hatching shape the textures and model the bodies; the first of four states documents a careful reworking of the plate.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)