Jean-François Millet (1814–1875)
The Sower, c. 1865
Pastel and Conté crayon on beige wove paper, mounted on wood-pulp board
18 1/2 x 14 ¾ in (47 x 37.5 cm)
Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Massachusetts; Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Hirschl, 1982.8
Silhouetted against the vast, empty landscape, the heroic laborer strides purposefully as he distributes seeds. Tinges of blue and rose in the clouds are repeated in the peasant’s clothing, uniting sky and land through the figure.