After the Day's Work

A shepherd and his two horses loom large against the distant horizon, brought close to the foreground as the grassy fields recede behind. A full moon casts an atmospheric glow from above, as soft blue marks give presence to the shepherd’s hunched shoulders and delicate touches of white highlight the horses’ heads. Millet was drawn to the particular light of early evening, stating: “It is astonishing toward the approach of night how grand everything on the plain appears, especially when we see figures silhouetted against the sky. They look like giants.”