À propos de l’œuvre
Le Semeur (d'après Millet, par Vincent van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh · January 1890 · Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
The Sower after Millet, F689Reproduction of oil painting on canvas
A dark silhouette advances on an inclined field, its arm outstretched to throw away the seeds: Van Gogh translates into blue, gray and ocher a print after Jean-François Millet.
Look at the work
An image of Millet translated into the language of Van Gogh
The sower crosses the canvas diagonally, one foot firmly placed in the furrow while the left arm describes the broad gesture of sowing. His body occupies almost the entire height and partly hides the horizon; behind him, a cart charged and a smaller character recall the cycle of agricultural work.
The composition comes from an engraving after Millet, but Van Gogh is not looking for a servile copy. He reconstructs the image with oblique touches and a cold range of blues, greens, grays and purples, animated by some pink and ocher accents.
For Van Gogh, covering Millet amounts to interpreting a work like a musician performing a score: respecting the motif while bringing it back to life through new material and new color relationships.
Composition, touch and color
Three observations specific to this painting
The museum connects this series to the months when Van Gogh, deprived of models and often confined, used Millet's reproductions as an exercise in creation and memory.
A gesture that crosses space
The outstretched arm, the forward leg and the edge of the field form three diagonals which give the sower continuous movement.
A monumental figure
The sower appears much larger than the figures at the bottom. Its proximity and framing make it the axis of the entire composition.
A deliberately cold range
Blues, grey greens and purples replace Millet's dark lands; the pink ocher of the load and soles creates some hot spots.
Documented benchmarks
Precisely identify the original work
KM 110.673 and the references F689/JH1836 identify this version from January 1890, distinct from the Sower at Sunset F422 painted in Arles.
Jean-Francois Millet
Van Gogh works from a graphic reproduction by Millet, an artist he has admired since his beginnings for the dignity given to peasant work.
A color translation
He compares his covers to the musical interpretation: the initial image remains recognizable but the color and touch become his own.
Regain momentum
After a serious crisis in the summer of 1889, these copies helped him return to work when subjects and outings were limited.
Your reproduction
What the painter must preserve
Reproduction must preserve the solid pose, the network of diagonals and the cold sobriety of the palette, without transforming this late sower into a yellow version of the famous Arles painting.
- The left arm open in the sowing gesture
- The strong diagonal of the terrain
- The face shaded under the hat
- The pink cart and the little figures at the bottom
- The blue and gray touches of the sky and the field
Work sheet
| Title | The Sower after Millet, F689 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Vincent van Gogh (1853 -1890) |
| Date | January 1890 |
| Place of creation | Saint-Rémy-de-Provence |
| Original technique | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 64 × 55 cm |
| Inventory | Kroeller-Müller Museum KM 110.673 · F689 · JH1836 |
| Conservation | Kroeller-Müller Museum, Otterlo |
| Your reproduction | Handmade oil painting on canvas |
From order to shipping
In your interior
A strong peasant figure in mineral harmony
The vertical format is suitable for a desk, entrance or bookcase. Blue grays, muted greens and ochres match linen, weathered wood and stone-colored walls.
Frequently asked questions
Before ordering
Is this a canvas print?
No. Each reproduction is manually painted in oil on canvas. Brushstrokes and material variations belong to the final result.
How is the visual reference chosen?
The official image of the Kroeller-Müller Museum was reduced to 2,517 × 3,000 px and then converted into a real WebP, without artificial enlargement.
Can I check the result before shipping?
Yes. Photographs of the finished painting are sent to you; you can request alterations before validating the shipment.
Are custom formats possible?
Yes. The format can be adapted to your wall while maintaining the proportions and balance of the original composition.
