THE ANGELUS
by Jean Francois Millet
1814-1875
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Jean Francois Millet (zhahn frahn SWAH mee LEH) was born to peasant parents in France near Cherbourg. He identified with simple working people all his life, and painted many pictures showing them at work. The people of his town recognized his talent and paid for him to study in Paris. However, it didn't work out too well because he had his own ideas about how to paint. He left and began to teach himself.
Portrait of Millet by Nadar
He finally sold a painting and was able to get enough money to moved to the village of Barbizon where he spent the rest of his life. He was poor and had a meager existence, but after he died his works became valuable. He sold The Angelus for $100, but 15 years after his death it sold for $150,000.
To understand the painting we need to know something about the origin of the title. The Angelus was a Catholic devotion time. When the church bell rang, people stopped their work and said a prayer. This happened three times a day; morning, noon, and evening. In the painting we see the man and his wife stopping for devotion after hearing the bell from the church in the distance.
Look carefully at the painting. What kind of work are they doing?
Another famous painting by Millet is The Gleaners which depicts peasants picking up grain left by the harvesters. During Old Testament times landowners were commanded to leave the grain that fell during harvest for the poor to gather. They also had to leave the corners of their fields uncut so the gleaners could pick up grain there.
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Biography of Jean-Francois Millet
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The Angelus
by Millet
Jean Francois Millet
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Jean Francois Millet
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Angelus
Millet, Jean-Francois
Buy this Art Print at AllPosters.com
Praying the Angelus: The Message of the Angel to Mary
By Jean Fournee / Crossroad
Recent years have seen a renewal of interest in the prayer of the Angelus. This book outlines the origins and history of the evolution and development of this prayer. It is the first study published on this subject.
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