A Study for the 'Bird's-Nesters', circa 1874
with artist's studio stamp in brown ink lower right 'J.F.M' (Lugt: 1460)
black crayon on paper
27 x 16.5cm sight size; 44.5 x 33cm framed

Provenance:
[By repute: The Leicester Galleries]
From the collection of the art critic David Thompson (1929-2019) and Freda Dowie (1928-2019)

The present work is a study for the central figure in Millet's 'Bird's-Nesters', one of his last works painted right at the end of his life, now in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It depicts a scene from the artist's childhood whilst growing up on the Contentin coast of Normandy. He would go at night with other peasants to hunt the flocks of wild pigeons that migrated across the Channel. When the birds settled in trees at night, the peasants blinded them with light from torches and then clubbed hundreds to death. For peasants living a hard existence, this communal hunt was one of the few sources of meat in an otherwise limited diet.


Millet worked out the positions of the figures in numerous small pen and ink sketches, as well as in pencil and crayon, known examples of which are in the Louvre Cabinet des Dessins and in the Indianapolis Museum of Art. A much larger charcoal underdrawing on canvas of the final composition was sold at Sotheby's New York on 15th November 2017, lot 129, for $150,000.

Condition Report

Slight toning and creasing to the paper. A tear left of the figure's right elbow along the left margin. This area is also discoloured. Light staining and discolouration in top corners. A small circular stain and two pinholes visible left of the figure's right hand. Little dirt under glass. Examined out of frame but not outside the glass.