I would be tempted to label this painting as romantic and pastoral if it weren’t for the girl’s facial expression. Her concerned and busy-like countenance infuses a down do earth (literally as well), occupied atmosphere, ruling out the dreamy and exalted element of romanticism. It seems that she would not indulge in admiring the nature around her; on the contrary, she turns her back to it, as if hiding something. It is difficult to discern what is it that she holds or does with her hands, but it may appear as if she were clutching a rosary and praying. If this is the case, then one could assume that even her prayers are directed towards asking for corporeal benefits, so sullen she looks. Perhaps she isn’t even praying, but merely counting the beads, as if trying to realize whether they can help her with her ragged situation. And perhaps, her mind is elsewhere, and the rosary is only the distraction. One thing is clear: as a result, she has frozen, inadvertently turning into a living monument.
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I have always responded equivocally to Jean-Francois Millet . There is an undeniable charm to his artwork, but it may sometimes seem too charming — too dolce . His lines end just where they are supposed to, and even a little prematurely, turning to describe a round angle instead of a sharp one, as if avoiding a confrontation. The artist seems to strive to smooth out every possible roughness of a body part or a piece of clothing, in what appears like a naive or even Utopian exercise… Or does it? I have pondered over this stylistic peculiarity, trying to find its deeper, underlying reasons, because each time, after looking at Millet, I was consistently left with a feeling that I was missing something. I needed a hypothesis to counter that nagging sense of miscomprehension — and I think, or at least I hope that I found one. Its premise relies on the rejection of traditional relationship between the observer and the work of art; the observer needs to make a certain concession and ignore the initial negative response. This action does not guarantee a more positive reaction to the artwork, but it will ensure more objective interpretation.
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Sometimes, during family reunions, when everybody is at the table, eating, a sudden moment of silence intrudes and makes itself almost palpable. Only the chewing sounds are heard, and everyone becomes, just for a second, very self-conscious and uncomfortable, — until someone talks again, and the strange sensation is gone. Such a moment is captured in this painting; though, without the uneasiness, as it appears a less festive and tense gathering. In fact, the only one who might feel uncomfortable, is the viewer — the intruder on this rather intimate scene.
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