1862
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
The Large Shepherdess (La grande bergere) is a 1862 ink by Jean François Millet, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a woman leaning on a long staff, standing in a field of tall grass and wild plants. Behind her, two small figures walk away, their shapes simple and blurred. The lines are rough and scratchy, like they were drawn quickly with a sharp tool. Notice how the artist used only black lines on a light background—no colors, just shadows and texture. This was a way to show light and movement without painting every detail. Try looking up etching to see how artists like Millet made prints like this.
Jean-François Millet (French pronunciation: ; 4 October 1814 – 20 January 1875) was a French painter and one of the founders of the Barbizon school in rural France.
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