The Shepherdess
Medium
Woodcut on cream Japanese paper
Dimensions
Image: 27.2 × 21.9 cm (10 3/4 × 8 5/8 in.); Sheet: 45 × 31.3 cm (17 3/4 × 12 3/8 in.)
Classification
woodcut
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
49975
Art Historical Context
Jean-François Millet's *The Shepherdess* (3) is a poignant woodcut print that captures the quiet dignity of rural life, a hallmark of the artist's Realist style. As a leading figure in the Barbizon School, Millet drew inspiration from the peasant laborers of his native Normandy, elevating everyday scenes to profound artistic statements. This work, housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints Drawings Department, reflects his shift toward printmaking in the 1860s, allowing broader dissemination of his empathetic depictions of the working class amid France's industrial changes. Printed on lu...