Art History- Analysis

Millet 's artistic purpose in the `Man with a Hoe ' and other similar paintings and there were those who appreciated his refinement as a colorist , the uniqueness of his impasto technique and his endearing compositions . Whereas artistically the emphasis for the painter was on the translation of the real subject onto the canvas politically it was on the choice of subject that was highlighted . In a highly volatile environment , every work of art was a story told , and its angle or composition or the moment captured by the artist was subjected to great

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In this light , many critics and viewers protested with unexpected fervor when Millet exhibited the `Man with a Hoe ' at the Salon in 1862 . The French bourgeois reacted by feeling it was directed at them , a taunt on their wealth and an attempt to gain sympathy . They expressed their distaste for empowering the dirty almost over-sized farmer as it symbolized to them the ruffian , the rebel , the revolutionary . They felt Millet granted the working class and the laborer with undue attention and flattery by depicting him as a graceful courageous man , an achiever The vast social and monitory differences across various sections of the French society had created a rift , one that could not easily accept honest expressions . Feelings of guilt , fear and suspicion were rampant among those who were well-to-do and knew little about the working class across the country . The painting reflected the romanticized ideas of the time that the Realists out rightly defied . It represented to the critics a biased idea to paint and the man in the painting would loom like a threat . When questioned , Millet refused all accusations and professed to painting along the realist philosophy - that of accurate and objective visual depiction . His love for and familiarity with fields was...