Jean-Francois Millet | Rest after work, 1866

During the harvest, a peasant's workday could last from the early hours of the morning until well into the evening, punctuated only by meal times and a rest from the sun at midday.

Here, a man and woman lay in the shade of a haystack.

The wheat sheaves to their right mirror their pose, while the pairs of sickles, shoes, and distant cows all reinforce the theme of companionship.

Jean-Francois Millet | Rest after work, 1866 | Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

"Rest after work" was one of the first in a group of pastels commissioned by Emile Gavet, a wealthy Parisian patron of Millet.

While Gavet provided the materials, he was happy to let Millet choose the subject matter.

Here, the artist uses black crayon and yellow pastel to create the wheat’s texture, while the buff colored paper enhances the composition’s golden tones. | Source: © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Jean-François Millet (1814-1875) was a French artist and one of the founders of the Barbizon school in rural France.

Millet is noted for his paintings of peasant farmers and can be categorized as part of the Realism art movement.

Toward the end of his career he became increasingly interested in painting pure landscapes.

He is known best for his oil paintings but is also noted for his pastels, conte crayon drawings, and etchings.

Jean-Francois Millet | Riposo dal lavoro, 1866 | Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Durante il raccolto, la giornata lavorativa di un contadino poteva durare dalle prime ore del mattino fino a sera inoltrata, scandita solo dall'ora dei pasti e da un riposo dal sole a mezzogiorno.

Qui, un uomo e una donna giacevano all'ombra di un pagliaio.

I covoni di grano alla loro destra rispecchiano la loro posa, mentre le coppie di falci, scarpe e mucche lontane rafforzano il tema della compagnia.

"Rest after work" (Riposo dal lavoro) è stato uno dei primi di un gruppo di pastelli commissionati da Emile Gavet, un ricco mecenate parigino di Millet.

Mentre Gavet ha fornito i materiali, è stato felice di lasciare che Millet scegliesse l'argomento.

Qui, l'artista utilizza il pastello nero e il pastello giallo per creare la trama del grano, mentre la carta color cuoio esalta i toni dorati della composizione. | Fonte: © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston