Breaking Flax  1851

Oil on canvas, H: 18 1/16 x W: 14 5/8 in. (45.8 x 37.2 cm) [br] The Walters Art Museum Acquired by William T. Walters, before 1878 Description: Despite the modest size of this painting, Millet has imparted a sense of grandeur and monumentality to the woman. Using ancient methods, she pulverizes sheaves of flax to separate the fibers for making linen. Although the art...