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Deux bûcherons coupant un tronc d'arbre
Details
JEAN-FRANCOIS MILLET (1814-1875)
Deux bûcherons coupant un tronc d'arbre
signé 'J.F. Millet' (en bas à droite)
pierre noire sur papier
35.7 x 30 cm.
35.7 x 30 cm.
signed 'J.F. Millet' (lower right)
black chalk on paper
14 1⁄8 x 11 7⁄8 in.
Deux bûcherons coupant un tronc d'arbre
signé 'J.F. Millet' (en bas à droite)
pierre noire sur papier
35.7 x 30 cm.
35.7 x 30 cm.
signed 'J.F. Millet' (lower right)
black chalk on paper
14 1⁄8 x 11 7⁄8 in.
Provenance
Collection particulière, Suisse. Vente, Galerie Fischer, Lucerne, 2 juin 1945, lot 100. Emil Georg Bührle (1890-1956), Zurich, puis par descendance. David Lachenmann, Zurich. Acquis auprès de celui-ci par les propriétaires actuels en 2010.
Further details
Probablement réalisé aux abords de la forêt de Fontainebleau, Jean-François Millet, artiste appartement au mouvement de l'école de Barbizon dès 1845, représente ici deux bûcherons au travail. En 1849, afin d’échapper à l’épidémie de choléra qui sévit alors à Paris, Millet décide de s’installer avec sa famille à Barbizon. C’est dans ce village qu’il découvre la vie éprouvante des travailleurs ruraux — un motif qui marquera profondément l’ensemble de son oeuvre. Le thème du bûcheron occupe, dans l’oeuvre de Millet, une place aussi essentielle que celles du semeur ou du moissonneur. Le travail de coupe incombe principalement aux hommes, comme le montre la présente feuille, tandis que les femmes transportent des fagots de bois, tel la figure située à l'arrière plan, revenant de la forêt. Le dessin présente également les trois outils fondamentaux utilisés par les bûcherons : la scie, la hache et la serpe manuelle.Millet explore ce sujet avec des degrés de finition variés, allant des croquis saisis sur le vif — tel Homme maniant une serpe, musée d’Orsay, Paris (inv. RF 5731 ; M.-P. Salé, Dessins de Jean-François Millet, Musée d’Orsay, 2006, no. 6, ill.) et Bucheron coupant un fagot, daté vers 1853-1854 et conservé au Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (inv. 43.123 ; A. Murphy, Jean-François Millet. Drawn into the Light, cat. exp., Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Massachusetts, et al., no. 37) — jusqu’aux dessins très aboutis, à l’instar de celui-ci, réalisés à partir de 1851, probablement dans une perspective de vente, selon Roseline Bacou (Millet dessins, Paris, 1975, pp. 9 et 18). L’élan vigoureux des deux hommes sciant un tronc d'arbre se retrouve également dans l'huile sur toile The Wood Sawyers, conservée au Victoria & Albert Museum, Londres (inv. CAI.47 ; S. Herring, Millet. Life on the Land, cat. exp., National Gallery, Londres, 2025, p. 15, fig. 4).
Fig. 1. Jean-François Millet, Les Scieurs de bois, vers 1848. Victoria and Albert Museum, Londres © Public domain / Wikimedia Commons
The present drawing probably depicts two workers outside the Fontainebleau Forest, near Barbizon. The artist first began an association with the Barbizon School whilst he was living in Paris in 1845. In 1849, Millet decided to move with his family to Barbizon in order to escape the cholera epidemic in Paris at the time. It was in Barbizon that Millet witnessed the challenging life of rural workers – a motif that would define his artistic output. The theme of the woodcutter was as important in Millet’s oeuvre as those of the sowers or harvesters. The activity of wood cutting was largely carried out by the men, as illustrated in the present sheet, whilst the women would carry bundles of sticks, an example of which can be seen behind the left-hand figure, back from the forest. This drawing also depicts the three key tools used by the woodcutters: the two-man saw, an axe and a hand sickle.Millet explored this theme with varying detail, from on the spot sketches, such as Homme maniant une serpe, Musée d'Orsay, Paris (inv. RF 5731; M.-P. Salé, Dessins de Jean-Francois Millet, Museé d'Orsay, 2006, no. 6, ill.) and Woodcutter making a Faggot, dated around 1853-1854, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (inv. 43.123 ; A. Murphy, Jean-François Millet. Drawn into the Light, exhib. cat., Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Massachusetts, et al., no. 37) to highly finished drawings, much like this drawing, which from around 1851 were meant for sale according to Roseline Bacou (Millet dessins, Paris, 1975, pp. 9 and 18). The energetic motion of the two men cutting the tree can also be observed in Millet's oil painting The Wood Sawyers at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London (inv. CAI.47, S. Herring, Millet. Life on the Land, exhib. cat., National Gallery, London, 2025, p. 15, fig. 4).
Fig. 1. Jean-François Millet, Les Scieurs de bois, vers 1848. Victoria and Albert Museum, Londres © Public domain / Wikimedia Commons
The present drawing probably depicts two workers outside the Fontainebleau Forest, near Barbizon. The artist first began an association with the Barbizon School whilst he was living in Paris in 1845. In 1849, Millet decided to move with his family to Barbizon in order to escape the cholera epidemic in Paris at the time. It was in Barbizon that Millet witnessed the challenging life of rural workers – a motif that would define his artistic output. The theme of the woodcutter was as important in Millet’s oeuvre as those of the sowers or harvesters. The activity of wood cutting was largely carried out by the men, as illustrated in the present sheet, whilst the women would carry bundles of sticks, an example of which can be seen behind the left-hand figure, back from the forest. This drawing also depicts the three key tools used by the woodcutters: the two-man saw, an axe and a hand sickle.Millet explored this theme with varying detail, from on the spot sketches, such as Homme maniant une serpe, Musée d'Orsay, Paris (inv. RF 5731; M.-P. Salé, Dessins de Jean-Francois Millet, Museé d'Orsay, 2006, no. 6, ill.) and Woodcutter making a Faggot, dated around 1853-1854, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (inv. 43.123 ; A. Murphy, Jean-François Millet. Drawn into the Light, exhib. cat., Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Massachusetts, et al., no. 37) to highly finished drawings, much like this drawing, which from around 1851 were meant for sale according to Roseline Bacou (Millet dessins, Paris, 1975, pp. 9 and 18). The energetic motion of the two men cutting the tree can also be observed in Millet's oil painting The Wood Sawyers at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London (inv. CAI.47, S. Herring, Millet. Life on the Land, exhib. cat., National Gallery, London, 2025, p. 15, fig. 4).
Sale room notice
Veuillez noter que le Lot 27, qui était marqué par un cercle dans le catalogue, est soumis à une garantie de prix minimum et a été financé avec l’aide d’un tiers qui enchérit sur ce lot et peut recevoir une rémunération de Christie’s.
Please note that Lot 27, which was marked with a circle in the catalogue, is subject to a minimum price guarantee and has been financed by a third party who is bidding on this lot and may receive a financing fee from Christie’s.
Please note that Lot 27, which was marked with a circle in the catalogue, is subject to a minimum price guarantee and has been financed by a third party who is bidding on this lot and may receive a financing fee from Christie’s.
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Antoine Lebouteiller
International Specialist