Cathy's Art Diary

Interesting online lecture from the National Gallery reflecting on their “Millet : Life on the Land” exhibition as it came to an end. Jacqui Ansell led us though various themes which had emerged from the show over its duration. She started by looking at “The Angelus” and talked about how it has become a French national icon and debating what a British equivalent might be deciding on “The Hay Wain”. She then outlined where the pictures in the exhibition had been lent from as all but “The Angelus” were from British collections. She used this as a way of looking at British collecting in the late 19th and early 20th century. Finally she discussed whether Millet was a political artist deciding that although he didn’t shy away from showing the hardships of rural life, she felt he was more driven by religious ideas and at one point he has said “the Bible is all I read”.

Thoughtful online lecture from the National Gallery discussing the role of politics in art. To accompany the exhibition at the gallery Matthew Morgan blended a discussion on whether Millet’s paintings of rural life had a political meaning, as many critics said at the time, with looking at whether in general art can or should be political. It was interesting to see Millet compared to contemporary artists. He outlined the politics of 19th century France clearly pointing out where Millet’s art may reflect this even if Millet himself denied this. He also discussed whether the meaning was religious rather than political. As ever with Morgan’s quite open lectures, raising questions to think about rather than answers, lead to good questions from the audience which broadened the subject eve further.

Charming small exhibition at the National Gallery focusing on Jean-Francois Millet to mark the 150th anniversary of his death. Although the show was in a small room it was packed with paintings and drawings mainly from the UK but with a star appearance of “The Angelus” from the Musée D’Orsay. All the pictures were rural scenes of peasants. The works were intimate and well observed and painted in a thin but expressive style. The working figures were given a monumental dignity even in the smaller works. I liked the way the commentary concentrated on the picture you were looking at, describing the work being shown and the techniques being used. It avoided any political discussion of the work which I have heard expounded in some lectures.   Closes 19 October 2025 Reviews Times Guardian

Fascinating online lecture from the National Gallery introducing their exhibition on Millet. Sarah Herring outlined Millet’s career and in particular the role of his paintings of rural life. She talked about both what influences him and then later how his work inspired the next generation of painters including Van Gogh. She also described the political landscape of the time and how these works were viewed the 1848 revolution. She then went though the paintings in the show emphasising how all but one are from British collections. I have since been to the exhibition and this was a really useful introduction as the show is quite small.