Artist: Francis Davis Millet
Painting Medium: Oil on Canvas
Drawing Medium: Graphite on Paper
Creation Year: c. 1870s
Painting Dimensions: 5 x 9.25
Drawing Dimensions: 21.5 x 34.5
Style: European, Figurative
Period: Mid 19th Century
Condition: Excellent
Description: This rare pair of works by Francis Davis Millet offers a compelling window into the artistic process of one of America’s most admired late 19th-century painters. The intimate oil on canvas captures a quiet moment on a windswept beach, where two women and a fisherman look out to sea, their figures framed by a grounded boat and softly rolling surf. The accompanying charcoal drawing, rendered at a larger scale, represents the same scene with refined clarity and careful attention to form. Seen together, the two pieces illustrate the full arc of Millet’s compositional approach, from tonal study to finished painting, underscoring his precision and deep sensitivity to human emotion and atmosphere.
Millet was internationally known for his murals, illustrations, and historical paintings, and played a major role in shaping American art institutions. He served as vice chairman of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago and was a founding member of the American Academy in Rome. He was admired not only for his artistic output but also for his leadership, diplomacy, and global perspective as a scholar and cultural advocate.
Tragically, Millet’s life ended aboard the RMS Titanic in 1912, where he was traveling to New York to continue his work in the arts. His death marked the loss of a brilliant and influential figure whose career bridged American realism, academic tradition, and international art circles. This pair of works, rich in narrative, composition, and historical resonance, stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of a painter whose influence extended far beyond the canvas.
Artist: Francis Davis Millet
Painting Medium: Oil on Canvas
Drawing Medium: Graphite on Paper
Creation Year: c. 1870s
Painting Dimensions: 5 x 9.25
Drawing Dimensions: 21.5 x 34.5
Style: European, Figurative
Period: Mid 19th Century
Condition: Excellent
Description: This rare pair of works by Francis Davis Millet offers a compelling window into the artistic process of one of America’s most admired late 19th-century painters. The intimate oil on canvas captures a quiet moment on a windswept beach, where two women and a fisherman look out to sea, their figures framed by a grounded boat and softly rolling surf. The accompanying charcoal drawing, rendered at a larger scale, represents the same scene with refined clarity and careful attention to form. Seen together, the two pieces illustrate the full arc of Millet’s compositional approach, from tonal study to finished painting, underscoring his precision and deep sensitivity to human emotion and atmosphere.
Millet was internationally known for his murals, illustrations, and historical paintings, and played a major role in shaping American art institutions. He served as vice chairman of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago and was a founding member of the American Academy in Rome. He was admired not only for his artistic output but also for his leadership, diplomacy, and global perspective as a scholar and cultural advocate.
Tragically, Millet’s life ended aboard the RMS Titanic in 1912, where he was traveling to New York to continue his work in the arts. His death marked the loss of a brilliant and influential figure whose career bridged American realism, academic tradition, and international art circles. This pair of works, rich in narrative, composition, and historical resonance, stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of a painter whose influence extended far beyond the canvas.
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