Evening, from the series, “Four Times of the Day”

Description

Evening, from Four Times of the Day, places a rural worker and the long diagonal of his scythe against a darkening field. His bent arms gather the action near the body while the implement reaches outward, connecting the foreground figure to the surrounding land. Distant farm buildings keep the scene within the familiar geography of work and home.

Jacques-Adrien Lavieille translated Jean-François Millet’s design into a wood engraving, building the evening atmosphere through interwoven light and dark marks. The image draws its character from the transition between active labor and the close of day. The substantial figure remains clear amid the darker landscape, giving the hour a human measure and making the field’s fading light part of the worker’s daily experience.

Read our guide to giclée prints or browse the Jean-François Millet collection.