Shop art print and framed art L'Angélus by Jean-François Millet

L'Angélus by Jean-François Millet: An emblematic work of French realism

L'Angélus is set in the context of realism, an artistic movement emerging in France in the mid-19th century. Realist artists sought to depict the social reality of their time, in particular the lives of the working classes and rural dwellers, who were often neglected by academic art. Millet, himself from a peasant family in Normandy, was deeply attached to this theme.

It was against this backdrop that Millet produced L'Angélus between 1857 and 1859, a work inspired by his childhood memories spent in the countryside. Millet remembers seeing his grandparents interrupt their work in the fields to recite the Angelus. This scene, imbued with piety and respect for tradition, left a deep impression on him. So he decided to transpose it onto canvas, not to exalt religious sentiment, but to pay tribute to the simple, hard-working lives of peasants.

L'Angélus by Jean-François Millet: a sober, balanced composition

This painting, 55.5 centimetres high by 66 centimetres wide, considered to be one of the artist's most famous, is representative of the realist movement. The painting's horizontal format provides a large surface area to express the main scene.

In the foreground of the painting, a man and a woman are standing in a field, their heads bowed in prayer. They are dressed in simple, worn clothing; the man wears a white shirt, black trousers and a straw hat, while the woman is dressed in a dress and a scarf framing her face, and their faces, plunged into shadow, are barely discernible, accentuating the impression of contemplation and anonymity. Near the couple, we see a wheelbarrow loaded with potatoes, a symbol of daily toil while a pitchfork is stuck in the ground.

In the background, the church steeple stands out against the horizon, a reminder of the importance of religion in rural life. The soft, diffused light creates an atmosphere of serenity and melancholy.

To create The Angelus, Jean-François Millet worked with oil paint on canvas. This technique enabled him to achieve a wide range of chromatic nuances and to play on lighting effects, as evidenced by the nuanced sky and soft lighting that bathe the scene. In addition, the treatment of the materials (the clothes, the fork, the ploughed ground) is also characteristic of the realism sought by the artist, who takes care to render each of these elements with meticulous precision.

The symbolism of the elements represented in The Angelus by Jean-François Millet

Each element of the painting is charged with meaning. The posture of the peasants, their heads bowed and hands clasped, expresses their humility and devotion. The abandoned tools evoke the interruption of work, but also the precariousness of their existence, dependent on the vagaries of nature. The wheelbarrow, full of potatoes, symbolises the fruits of their labour, while the bell tower recalls the importance of faith in their lives.

The light, which comes from the sky, underlines the spiritual dimension of the scene. It subtly illuminates the peasants' faces, suggesting their interiority and communion with the divine. The landscape, vast and bare, evokes the solitude and harshness of rural life, but also the simple, timeless beauty of nature.

The impact of The Angelus by Jean-François Millet

L'Angélus was a hit with audiences and critics alike. It was hailed for its simplicity, sincerity and emotional depth. This work helped to reinforce Millet's reputation as a major painter of realism. It also influenced many artists, deeply affected by the depiction of peasant life in l'Angélus.

Beyond its artistic impact, The Angelus also had major legal repercussions. Before being sold to the Louvre, which transferred it to the Musée d'Orsay where the painting still stands today, l'Angélus passed through many collectors' hands. The successive sale of the painting at increasingly high prices, while Millet's heirs lived in poverty, highlighted the injustice of the situation of artists, who did not benefit from the capital gains made when their works were resold. This realisation led to the introduction of droit de suite in France, which guarantees artists and their heirs a percentage of the resale price of their works.

This artwork is a painting from the classical period. It belongs to the barbizon school styles and realism styles.

« L'Angélus » is kept at Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France.

Find the full description of L'Angélus by Jean-François Millet on Wikipedia.