The Barbizon school in France is known for breaking with tradition and trying to portray
a more realistic image of our natural surroundings.
The school was led by the beloved artist Jean-Francois Millet, and some of his original works are
now here in Korea.
And we′re now joined by our Yim Yoonhee to tell us more.
Millet is an artist who revolutionized art.
Nature and beautiful landscapes were no longer just in the background of paintings, but were
now as much a part of the works as the people in them.
He influenced many artists after him,... some who went on to become some of the most important
artists in history.
Take a look.
Life in the peaceful countryside,... women doing laundry by the stream,... men harvesting
the fields.
These are the landscapes of Fontainebleau, the French countryside, that inspired many
artists who were part of a movement toward Realism in art.
Artists such as the legendary Theodore Rousseau and of course Claude Monet,... they all found
inspiration from the rustic countryside.
Even Vincent Van Gogh had admiration for not just the lands of Fontainbleau, but also the
artist who was at the center of it all,...
Jean-Francois Millet.
"Millet is a French painter from Normandy who lived from 1814 to 1875.
He is known for leading the Barbizon school, which was at the forefront of the Realism
art movement at a time when artists began focusing on beautiful landscapes, peasants
and farmers, instead of dramatic religious scenes and wealthy people.
You could even say he is one of the fathers of the Modern art movement."
To celebrate the 200th year of Millet′s birth, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston put
together an extensive collection of over 60 original works that tell the story of the
Barbizon school, and its contributions to the birth of Modernism.
Included in the exhibition are four of Millet′s major paintings paintings that not only influenced
many future artists, but also played a key role in ushering in other art movements such
as the "Harvesters Resting" painting, one of his most famous works that Millet poured
his life into completing.
"Millet considers this his most important painting, and practiced on over 50 different
drafts before making the final product.
He played around with positioning of the figures, and calculated everything.
The subtitle says ′Ruth and Boaz′ and it tells the story of this woman named Ruth
and the man next to her, named Boaz.
The woman was recently widowed, but she works very hard in the fields with her mother-in-law
to keep them alive.
Boaz sees how hard she is working and falls in love with her, and they end up marrying.
Millet retells the Biblical story of redemption and hard work through a contemporary scene."
There are many places, many people,... many faces that contributed to the development
of art.
But there are few artists, legends in the field, who have made their mark and will forever
be recognized,... artists such as Jean-Francois Mille