Jean-François MILLET
1814 - 1875
Shepherdess Spinning while Tending Sheep
Charcoal
182 × 272 mm
On the reverse, studies with two spinning wome, one seated and the other standing, reapers and sheep around a tree: a study for Pâturage sur la montagne en Auvergne, 1867-1869 (Chicago Art institute).
Provenance: Millet’s widow’s sale, 1894, stamp similar to Herbert 1875 A (Lugt 1460)
This drawing is part of a large number of sketches done by Millet between 1866 and 1868, during his summer stays in Auvergne. There, he encountered Spinster-goatherds, peasant women who used to spin wool while tending flocks.