The Sower 1850 by Jean-Francois Millet

The Sower 1850 - Jean-Francois Millet - Canvas Oil Painting

Product Overview

The Sower 1850 by Jean-Francois Millet is one of those images that never dates. Our studio recreates it as a hand painted oil painting — textured, color-rich, and ready to hang as canvas wall art in a living room, study, or reception area.

Composition & Subject

1850
Oil on canvas
101.6 x 82.6 cm (40 x 32 1/2 in.)
Museum of Fine Arts, United States.

Millet's 1850 piece "The Sower", which has come to be associated with the Social Realist movement, shows a peasant man striding through a plot of freshly tilled soil as he sows his crops. The sun shines in the top half of the painting just over the horizon to show that the peasant has risen at the crack of dawn in order to accomplish the day's work that lies ahead.

The painting is characterized as a Social Realist work because of its focus and subject matter, and additionally due to the manner in which the work is portrayed. Millet breaks from the traditional academic route with "The Sower" and it shows in his dark and muddy earth tones. Rather than idealizing the peasant man or ignoring him entirely, Millet portrays the peasant as a stocky, well-built young man wearing simple, practical peasant clothing.

An impasto brush stroke gives "The Sower" an aura of liberation from academic traditions. Millet balances the earthy lower portion of "The Sower" with a sunset over the horizon in the top of the painting, giving the work the simplicity of a peasant's day. The peasant portrayed has his face hidden by the front of his hat, and is presumably looking off into the distance, at the work that is left to be done in front of him.

All of these elements could lead the viewer to the conclusion that Millet's painting is simply intended to idealize the peasant and peasant life in general. One might even call this a pastoral work, focusing on idealized life out in nature. Why then did this work create controversy when it was shown for the first time in France?

One reason could be that Millet was associated with the more open and overtly Social Realist painter Gustave Courbet. Since Courbet also liked to portray members of the peasantry in dark and earthy tones, Millet's "The Sower" may have become associated with Courbet's works, (most notably "The Burial at Onans"), both for its subject matter, that is, the peasantry and the dark and naturalistic manners in which both artists presented their works.

When "The Sower" is looked at in light of its Social Realist associations, a whole new realm of icons and meanings can be grasped. The Sower himself or the peasant can be viewed as a sewer of social justice, a representative of the lower classes fighting for social mobility by sowing the seeds of protest and dissent. A bright sun is rising behind the peasant man indicating that the sewer has the forces of social justice on his side. The sun rise can also be interpreted as a symbol of change, in the Social Realist sense; this would mark the change from the bourgeoisie middle class dominance of the capital industrial era in France to one of socialist enlightenment.

Under this ideological lenses, it becomes apparent why "The Sower" created controversy in a France that was rapidly industrializing. In this France peasants or working class members of society were essential to do what needed to be done on the assembly lines, in the fields, in the textile mills, and so on. Up until this point art had focused on the upper classes, or idealized the peasant, making him a cheerful and productive member of society.

Collectors often choose this fine art image when searching for fine art oil painting that feels substantial rather than decorative or disposable.

100% Hand Painted on Canvas

We use a 100% hand-painted process: stretched artist-grade canvas, layered oil pigment, and a final protective varnish. There are no inkjet prints or mechanical reproductions in this collection — just a painted fine art artwork made to order.

What Is Included

• Genuine hand painted oil painting on premium artist canvas; no printing or digital imaging is used.
• Edges include an additional 2-inch blank allowance, ideal for gallery wrapping or framing.
• No middlemen — we ship directly to you worldwide.
• Available canvas sizes for this hand painted oil painting: 20 X 24 in, 24 X 36 in, 30 X 40 in, 36 X 48 in, 48 X 72 in.
• Custom sizes available: order this painting in your preferred dimensions.
• Choose from DHL, UPS, FedEx, USPS and other competitively priced carriers.
• No-cost gallery stretching on wood bars, plus optional made-to-order framing.
• Before dispatch we email a digital proof so you can approve the finished canvas.

Wall Decor & Gifting

Build a living room gallery wall around this fine art oil painting, or let it stand alone as a single statement. The hand painted canvas finish keeps the fine art composition looking intentional in both classic and contemporary rooms.

Ordering & Peace of Mind

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.