favourite peasant pictures, amongst others "The Workman's Monday," which
is a sort of parallel in painting to Burns's "Cotter's Saturday Night"
in poetry. Indeed, there is a great deal in Millet which strongly
reminds one at every step of Burns. Both were born of the agricultural
labouring class; both remained peasants at heart, in feelings and
sympathies, all their lives long; neither was ashamed of his origin,
even in the days of his greatest fame; painter and poet alike loved best
to choose their themes from the simple life of the poor whose trials and
hardships they knew so well by bitter experience; and in each case they
succeeded best in touching the hearts of others when they did not travel
outside their own natural range of subjects. Only (if Scotchmen will
allow one to say so) there was in Millet a far deeper vein of moral
earnestness than in Burns; he was more profoundly impressed by the
dignity and nobility of labour; in his tender sympathy there was a touch
of solemn grandeur which was wanting in the too genial and easy-going
Ayrshire ploughman.

In 1848, the year of revolutions, Millet painted his famous picture of
"The Winnower," since considered as one of his finest works. Yet for a
long time, though the critics praised it, it could not find a purchaser;
till at last M. Ledru Rollin, a well-known politician, bought it for
what Millet considered the capital price of five hundred francs (about
L20). It would now fetch a simply fabulous price, if offered for sale.
Soon after this comparative success Millet decided to leave Paris, where
the surroundings indeed were little fitted to a man of his peculiarly
rural and domestic tastes. He would go where he might see the living
models of his peasant friends for ever before him; where he could watch
them leaning over the plough pressed deep into the earth; cutting the
faggots with stout arms in the thick-grown copses; driving the cattle
home at milking time with weary feet, along the endless, straight white