The Gleaners by Jean-François Millet

The Gleaners is revolutionary in the sense that Jean-François Millet chose a subject that was rarely seen in the paintings hanging in the Salons. He chose to paint the lowest ranking members of rural society, and he chose to paint them with dignity and grace, depicting them in an honest way. Remembering yesterday's post on Pieter Bruegel the Elder, there was definitely empathy in the way Bruegel painted his peasants, but there is no prejudice in Jean-François Millet's work.