National Gallery exhibition: Millet returns to London
Prepare to mark your calendars, art lovers, because autumn 2025 is set to deliver a blockbuster exhibition at the National Gallery. Millet: Life on the Land will be the UK’s first major showcase in almost fifty years dedicated to the French painter Jean-François Millet (1814–1875), one of the most influential artists of the 19th century. This is no ordinary exhibition either; it’s a deep-dive into the life, technique, and themes tackled by a man who dared to elevate rural toil to the realm of grandeur. At its heart is a showstopper loan from the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, Millet’s iconic painting L’Angélus (1857–9). Yes, the very one Salvador Dalí was a bit obsessed with. This meditation on rural life and spirituality will be the undoubted star of the show, surrounded by around 15 other Millet works sourced largely from British public collections. A Tribute to Millet’s Legacy Timed to coincide with the 150th anniversary of Millet’s death, the exhibition is as much a celebration of his legacy as it is of his art. Back in the artist’s own lifetime, his works were a hit with British collectors, many of whom were keen to snap up pieces that spotlighted the dignity and hardship of rural life. What resulted is a remarkable trove of Millet’s works in UK public collections, forming the backbone of this exhibition. Millet wasn’t your standard painter of landscapes and peasants. Oh no, he was the driving force behind the Barbizon school, a 19th-century movement of artists inspired by the natural world and… Read More
