The Gleaners

The Gleaners by Jean François Millet: A work made of etching and drypoint on ivory chine laid down on ivory wove paper.

What to notice

The three bent figures form a repeated rhythm close to the ground; their scale and labor dominate the field even within the print’s modest dimensions.

Discover

Millet’s print shows three women bending to gather grain left after the harvest. Their repeated poses and proximity to the soil give overlooked agricultural labor a monumental rhythm despite the work’s relatively small scale.