International studio (50.1913)

The Rouart Collection.
evidence, notably that adduced by M. Henri
Rochefort, and, even leaving aside this evidence,
one has only to closely examine the picture itself,
no matter if it be with an eye but little expert in
such matters, to become convinced of the truth of
this assertion. It would, therefore, have been of
paramount importance to supplement the insuffi-
ciency of the Angehis and complete the ensemble
of other works by Millet in the Louvre by the
addition of one of the masterpieces in the Rouart
Collection. However, it was not to be, and we
and all the admirers of this master’s work can only
regret it most sincerely.
What then, were the works by Millet which were
chosen with such loving care by AL Henri Rouart
and preserved by him until the posthumous and,
alas! final dispersal of his beautiful collection?
First of all comes the work numbered 239 in the
catalogue and entitled La fin de la journee( L'Homme
a la veste), which figured at the Centennial Exhi-
bition of French Art in 1900 under the name of
L' Homme a la hone. The picture measures about
23 inches in height by 29 inches wide (58 by 73 cm.),
and depicts a peasant standing upright against the
low-lying horizon of the plain of Chailly; he has
placed his mattock on the ground beside him and

-The Works of Millet
is drawing on his coat. The effect of twilight has
been rendered by the painter with an admirable
finesse and delicacy of brush, and the figure is as
it were modelled in the colour with a simplicity
and harmony which cannot be adequately expressed
in words.
This work was engraved by Millet himself,
and on one of the impressions, which is in the
possession of the painter Roll, the artist has written
with his own hand : “ Llfaut faire servir le travail
a FExpression du Sublime ; voila ou est la verite.”
These few words define and sum up amazingly well
the thoughts of the artist, and it is certain that few
human productions in the history of art are capable
of creating such an impression of nobility. Let us
remind ourselves that this picture, which appeared
in the Millet sale on May 10, 1875, was also shown
at the Millet Exhibition in the Ecole des Beaux-
Arts in 1887, numbered 58 in the catalogue. It
was valued at 100,000 francs by M. Durand-Ruel
and M. Brame, the “ experts ” of the Rouart sale,
and in the auction-room it fetched 115,000 francs,
this price being given for it by Mr. Knoedler of
New York. This purchase, which once again
deprives us of one of the most important examples
of French art and thought—one ot those precious


landscape (pen drawing with wash)
98

(Photo, E. Druet, Paris)

BY J. F. MILLET