Jean-François Millet (1814-1875)
The Angelus, between 1857 and 1859
Oil on canvas. H. 55,5 ; L. 66,0 cm.
Legs Alfred Chauchard, 1910
© Musée d'Orsay, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Patrice Schmidt
A man and a woman are reciting the Angelus, a prayer which commemorates the annunciation made to Mary by the...
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Jean-François Millet (1814-1875)
The Angelus, between 1857 and 1859
Oil on canvas. H. 55,5 ; L. 66,0 cm.
Legs Alfred Chauchard, 1910
© Musée d'Orsay, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Patrice Schmidt
A man and a woman are reciting the Angelus, a prayer which commemorates the annunciation made to Mary by the angel Gabriel. They have stopped digging potatoes and all the tools used for this task - the potato fork, the basket, the sacks and the wheelbarrow - are strewn around them.
Alone in the foreground in a huge empty plain, the two peasants take on a monumental quality, despite the small size of the canvas. Their faces are left in shadow, while the light underlines their gestures and posture. The canvas expresses a deep feeling of meditation and Millet goes beyond the anecdote to the archetype.
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