Morning, from 'Four Times of the Day'
Original title: Morning, from "Four Times of the Day"
kurzbeschreibung
Unlike many rural genre scenes of its time, Jean-François Millet's wood engraving 'Morning, from The Four Times of Day' (1860) gives center stage to a woman on a donkey, accompanied by a man with a spade. The print is executed as a wood engraving in chine collé technique and belongs to a series devoted to the times of day.
Description
A woman sits on a donkey, holding a basket; beside her walks a man carrying a spade over his shoulder and handing something to her. Behind the two, other figures, trees, and fields emerge. The arrangement runs horizontally, with the figures placed in the middle. Light and dark areas meet sharply, bringing out many details.
Context
Around 1860, when Millet was deeply engaged with rural life, the series 'The Four Times of Day' was created. The wood engravings served as reproductions after his paintings, which often dealt with peasant subjects. Art journals printed them, making Millet's art known to a wider audience.
Impact
The image feels calm and peaceful; the people blend unobtrusively into the landscape. From the strong contrast of light and dark, the view gains a dramatic depth that draws the viewer into the peasant ritual of early day.
Technique
For this print, the motif was cut into a woodblock and then printed on chine collé paper. Fine lines and hatching render textures and lighting conditions very precisely.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)