Impressionism, the partakers of the expositions:
Jean-Baptiste Millet
(1831-1906)
The unknown brother
Jean-Baptiste Millet, introduction:
Jean-Baptiste Millet was a pupil of his famous older brother Jean-François Millet. There is very little known about him. He exhibited several times at the Salon from 1870-1880 and in 1876 he exhibited 10 works at the 2nd ‘impressionist’ exposition.
Jean-Baptiste Millet and the Salon:
Jean-Baptiste Millet did exhibit at the Salon in 1870 + 74 + 75 + 76 + 77 + 78 + 80. He only exhibited watercolours. 7 of the works he exhibited were loans. See link for his pictures. See link for an account.
Jean-Baptiste Millet only joined the 2nd ‘impressionist’ exposition:
At the 2nd ‘impressionist’ exposition Jean-Baptiste Millet showed 10 works (catalogue numbers 138-147) (R2,p163): 5 of them were watercolours; 6 of them were loans (of art-dealers) (R88;R2,p163). See link for his pictures. See link for an account.
Half of the works Jean-Baptiste Millet exhibited at the Salon and with the impressionists in 1876 were loans. Owners were: Charles Tillot (S1874-2385), F. Chaigneau (S1874-2386 + S1875-2572); Henri Rouart (S1875-2570+2571); Haro (2IE-1876-139+143 + S1876-2763); Brame (2IE-1876-138); Georges Petit (2IE-1876-140+141+144).
Maybe Jean-Baptiste was invited by Charles Tillot who did loan a work to the Salon of 1874 or by Henri Rouart who did loan 2 works of him to the Salon of 1875. Tillot and Rouart had exhibited at the 1st ‘impressionist’ exposition in 1874 and would do so afterwards.
Jean-Baptiste Millet as an artist:
Jean-Baptiste Millet was a pupil of his famous older brother Jean-François Millet (iR1;R9;R88;R3;iR69). Landscapes, farms, farmers, harvests, shepherds, mills, and work on a farm were his mean themes (iR1;R3;R9). Jean-Baptiste Millet was active in Berques (north of Calais close to the Belgium border, Liège (in Belgium) and Elsene (just south of Brussels, Belgium) (iR24;iR9). He showed bright colours and transparant atmospheres which made him related to the ‘impressionist’ doctrines (R9). But mostly he used watercolours and charcoal (R88;iR1). Jean-Baptiste Millet also was a sculptor (iR24) and a woodcutter / woodcarver (iR60;iR24).
Jean-Baptiste Millet also was an engraver / printmaker (iR24;R3). He made several (wood) engravings after works of his brother Jean-François Millet, namely ’the seated shepherdess’↓ made after a drawing (R9;iR69;R138I). Delteil (1906) calls it ‘exceptional’ and dates it around 1868 (R138I,no33), another source dates it 1863 (iR30=M20) and yet another around 1874 (iR11/auction 2014/02/22). Delteil (1906) also mentions that F. Keppel acquired most of the wood blocks of Jean-François, Jean-Baptiste and Pierre Millet (R138I). Number 32 + 34 from the Delteil catalogue was made by Pierre Millet after a drawing of Jean-François. Many of the etchings Delteil attributes to Jean-François have no signature (R138I).
Jean-Baptiste Millet, a short biography:
- 1831 Jean-Baptiste Millet was born in Gréville (Manche), which lies south of the Normandy peninsula (R9;R88;R3;iR1;iR69). RKD mentions he was born in Gruchy (iR24). Delteil makes clear that the hamlet Gruchy was part of the municipality of Gréville (R138I).
His parents were farmers (R3;R138I).
The family consisted of 8 children (R138I).
He was 17 years younger than his famous brother Jean-François Millet (1814-75; R9;R3;R88). - 1835/11/29: His father died (R138I).
- 1870: lived in Chailly (iR1)
- 1874+75: lived in Barbizon (iR1)
- 1876+77: lived at the Rue Pouletier, 9, Paris (iR1;R2,p163).
- 1878: lived at the Rue Saint-Jean-d’Osny in Pontoise (iR1)
- 1880: lived in Saumur (Maine-et-Loire), 13, rue Royale, about 300km south-west of Paris (iR1;iR9)
- 1906/03: Jean-Baptiste Millet died in Auvers-sur-Oise , which lies a bit north of Pontoise (iR24;R9;R88;R3;iR69)
Sources:
Jean-Baptiste Millet is not or hardly mentioned in books on Impressionism and no picture is rendered (R1;R4;R5;R6;R8;R16;R17;R19;R22;R84;R89;R94;R95;R102;R116). More often his older brother Jean-François Millet is mentioned as a Pré-Impressionist. Delteil (1906) in his introduction to the etchings of Jean-François renders some information that applies to both brothers and renders a woodprint made by Jean-Baptiste (R138I + no.33). There is no English Wikipedia site about Jean-Baptiste Millet (iR3). The French Wikipedia site only mentions a Jean-Baptiste Pierre Millet (1796-1883) who was a politician (iR4). My main sources are Moffett (1986=R2,p163), Walther (2013=R3,p680), Schurr & Cabanne (2008=R9,p532), Monneret (1878-81=R88I,p529), the Salon database (iR1), RKD (iR24), BNF (iR40) and Bénézit (iR69). For other general references (=R) see. For other references to internet sites (=iR) see. For other additional references (=aR) see below. See links for practical hints and abbreviations and for the subscription of the paintings.
See for additional reading:
Bénézit (1999=R76), Witt Library (1978,p210=R78), Thieme / Becker (Vol24,p567,1930=R79), Allgemeines Künstlerlexikon (2017=R81). (iR24;iR60)
Additional references:
- gallica.bnf.fr//bpt6k1244403m (1888/01/23 Hôtel Drouot sale with 1 work of a Millet (J.B.): no. 74, Les Blés, aquarelle; =iR40)
- gallica.bnf.fr//bpt6k12418670 (1877/01/27, Hôtel Drouot sale with 3 works of a Millet (J.B.): no. 66, Cour de ferme, sépia; no. 67, Ferme aux environs de Barbizon, aquarelle; no. 68, Moulin à eau, aquarelle; = iR40)
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Recommanded citation: “Jean-Baptiste Millet, the unknown brother. Last modified 2023/06/02. https://www.impressionism.nl/millet-jean-baptiste/.”