The National Gallery in London is set to present “Millet: Life on the Land,” the first UK exhibition in nearly five decades dedicated to Jean-François Millet. The centerpiece of the exhibition will be “L’Angélus,” an outstanding loan from the Musée d’Orsay in Paris.
The exhibition will showcase approximately 15 paintings and drawings by the French artist, primarily sourced from British public collections. It will include the National Gallery’s own “The Winnower,” highlighting Millet’s exceptional technique as a prolific and accomplished draughtsman.
Millet’s work is known for portraying rural workers with nobility and grandeur, a status typically reserved for historical figures. The exhibition will explore themes of rural labor, including woodcutting, sowing, and women at work.
Sarah Herring, Associate Curator of Post 1800 Paintings, notes that Millet depicted rural laborers with empathy and compassion, endowing them with dignity and nobility. National Gallery Director, Sir Gabriele Finaldi, points out that Millet, a painter of rural life, was sometimes accused of being a dangerous anarchist.
The exhibition will run from August 7 to October 19, 2025, in Room 1 of the National Gallery, with free admission.
