Free shipping on orders over $60$5 flat rate under $604 items: 10% off · 8 items: 20% off
You save $87.97
Free shipping over $60 · 30-day returns · Dispatched in 1–2 business days
For collectors searching fine art oil painting, Man with a Hoe is a dependable choice. Painted in layered oils on canvas after Jean-Francois Millet, this vintage work reads equally well as classic canvas wall art and as a thoughtful housewarming gift.
1860-1862
Oil on canvas
31.5 x 39 in.
"As I have never seen anything but fields since I was born, I try to say as best I can what I saw and felt when I was at work," wrote Jean-Francois Millet. At the Salon of 1863, Man with a Hoe caused a storm of controversy. The man in the picture was considered brutish and frightening by Parisian bourgeoisie. The Industrial Revolution had caused a steady exodus from French farms, and Man with a Hoe was interpreted as a socialist protest about the peasant's plight. Though his paintings were judged in political terms, Millet declared that he was neither a socialist nor an agitator.
A religious fatalist, Millet believed that man was condemned to bear his burdens. This farmer is Everyman. His face is lit, yet composed of blots of color that give him no individuality. He is big and dirty and utterly exhausted by the back-breaking work of turning this rocky, thistle-ridden earth into a productive field like the one being worked in the distance. A tribute to dignity and courage in the face of a life of unremitting exertion, Man with a Hoe was long considered a symbol of the laboring class.
Collectors often choose this fine art image when searching for fine art oil painting that feels substantial rather than decorative or disposable.
From primer to varnish, the work is done manually on artist-grade canvas. The absence of digital printing is deliberate: it keeps the fine art brushwork visible and gives the vintage oil painting wall decor a museum-like finish.
As entryway wall decor, this canvas brings color and texture without visual noise. It scales well from a small study to a large entryway feature wall, and it is a reliable choice when shopping for fine art oil painting as a gift.
Browse our Jean-Francois Millet Paintings selection for related fine art canvases, or commission this fine art image in a custom size. Every order is a hand painted oil painting, never a printed poster.
| Size | Price |
|---|---|
| 20 X 24 in | $87.98 |
| 24 X 36 in | $134.48 |
| 30 X 40 in | $185.98 |
| 36 X 48 in | $238.48 |
| 48 X 72 in | $481.48 |
The sizes shown are the reproduction canvas sizes we paint to order. The dimensions given in a work's description refer to the original artwork and will differ from the sizes offered here. Not sure? Read the size guide or e-mail us.
Free on orders over $60; a flat $5 below that. Dispatched in 1–2 business days; 30 days to send it back. Full policy.
Every canvas is painted by hand in oils on artist-grade stretched canvas, with an extra blank border left for framing. How to care for your painting.
Measurements are on the size guide, or e-mail [email protected] and we reply within one business day.
