Jean Francois Millet (1814-1875)
Today I'd like to talk to you about a French landscape painter, Jean Francois Millet. His pictures centered on poor farmers in the country side. Now I'd like to briefly touch on his two masterpieces out of his many paintings.
1. "Angelus"
2. "Gleaners"
When I was a little kid, my mother hanged these pictures on the wall of the dining room. I was moved by these pictures with a striking contrast between light and shadow. "Angelus" means that a bell that is rung three times a day in Roman Catholic churches to tell the people when to say a particular prayer.
Millet described a famer couple praying for good harvest after work in the fields when the sun was about to sink. Or are they praying for their dead son? Anyway the church bell must have kept ringing when they prayed.
In case of "Gleaners" he depicted that poor farmers were diligently collecting bits of grain after harvest. Maybe it has something to do with the story from the Bible.
Millet's art of work consists of three adjectives; "devout". "humble and "diligent"
I surmise that my mother loved these pictures, because she was a devout Christian when she went to Tokyo Woman's Christian University. She was also hung up on Kanzo Uchimura, a Christian Leader, who developed Japanese forms of Christianity. One day she showed me proudly a picture of the university with a chapel and a white guest house where the former US Ambassador to Japan, Edwin. O. Reischauer, grew up.
I also recall seeing a lot of Millet's pictures in art textbooks.
Why are Millet's pictures popular in Japan?
1. In general the Japanese are fond of serious and pious painters.
2. The Japanese are used to seeing the Chinese landscapes. Therefore it is easy to understand Millet's colorful pictures with atmospheric light.
3. The Japanese craved for western arts. We tended to respect great western painters and designate them as virtusos.
For my mother, it was the easiest way to decorate the humble dining room with Millet's replicas.
Millet is said to be a pioneer of the impressionists, such as Pierre Renoir and Paul Gauguin.
This year we are going to celebrate 200th anniversay of Millet's birth. His exhibition will be held in Japan. If you have a chance, please visit his exhibition and enjoy watching his colorful pictures.
1. "Angelus"
2. "Gleaners"
When I was a little kid, my mother hanged these pictures on the wall of the dining room. I was moved by these pictures with a striking contrast between light and shadow. "Angelus" means that a bell that is rung three times a day in Roman Catholic churches to tell the people when to say a particular prayer.
Millet described a famer couple praying for good harvest after work in the fields when the sun was about to sink. Or are they praying for their dead son? Anyway the church bell must have kept ringing when they prayed.
In case of "Gleaners" he depicted that poor farmers were diligently collecting bits of grain after harvest. Maybe it has something to do with the story from the Bible.
Millet's art of work consists of three adjectives; "devout". "humble and "diligent"
I surmise that my mother loved these pictures, because she was a devout Christian when she went to Tokyo Woman's Christian University. She was also hung up on Kanzo Uchimura, a Christian Leader, who developed Japanese forms of Christianity. One day she showed me proudly a picture of the university with a chapel and a white guest house where the former US Ambassador to Japan, Edwin. O. Reischauer, grew up.
I also recall seeing a lot of Millet's pictures in art textbooks.
Why are Millet's pictures popular in Japan?
1. In general the Japanese are fond of serious and pious painters.
2. The Japanese are used to seeing the Chinese landscapes. Therefore it is easy to understand Millet's colorful pictures with atmospheric light.
3. The Japanese craved for western arts. We tended to respect great western painters and designate them as virtusos.
For my mother, it was the easiest way to decorate the humble dining room with Millet's replicas.
Millet is said to be a pioneer of the impressionists, such as Pierre Renoir and Paul Gauguin.
This year we are going to celebrate 200th anniversay of Millet's birth. His exhibition will be held in Japan. If you have a chance, please visit his exhibition and enjoy watching his colorful pictures.
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