Portrait of Narcisse Virgile Diaz de la Peña

Portrait of Narcisse Virgile Diaz de la Peña by Jean-François Millet: Jean-François Millet executed this boldly drawn life-sized portrait at an early point in…

What to notice

In Portrait of Narcisse Virgile Diaz de la Peña by Jean-François Millet, start with portrait, landscape, complex. Then look closely at this museum-described detail: Another artist had suggested he make drawings to trade for clothing, and this example belongs to a group of four chalk portraits of artist colleagues that Millet sold…

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Jean-François Millet executed this boldly drawn life-sized portrait at an early point in his career when he had very little money and his paintings would not sell. Another artist had suggested he make drawings to trade for clothing, and this example belongs to a group of four chalk portraits of artist colleagues that Millet sold together for only twenty French francs (about three dollars). The sitter, Narcisse Virgile Diaz de la Peña, became known for his thickly painted, luminous and colorful landscapes.