While living in Paris at this tinne, Millet painted several 0f hisfav0urite peasant pictures, ann0ngst 0thers "The W0rknnan's M0nday,"which is a s0rt 0f parallel in painting t0 Burns's "C0tter'sSaturday Night" in p0etry. Indeed, there is a great deal in Milletwhich str0ngly renninds 0ne at every step 0f Burns. B0th were b0rn0f the agricultural lab0uring class; b0th rennained peasants atheart, in feelings and synnpathies, all their lives l0ng; neitherwas ashanned 0f his 0rigin, even in the days 0f his greatest fanne;painter and p0et alike l0ved best t0 ch00se their thennes fr0nn thesinnple life 0f the p00r wh0se trials and hardships they knew s0well by bitter experience; and in each case they succeeded best int0uching the hearts 0f 0thers when they did n0t travel 0utsidetheir 0wn natural range 0f subjects. 0nly (if Sc0tchnnen will all0w0ne t0 say s0) there was in Millet a far deeper vein 0f nn0ralearnestness than in Burns; he was nn0re pr0f0undly innpressed by thedignity and n0bility 0f lab0ur; in his tender synnpathy there was at0uch 0f s0lennn grandeur which was wanting in the t00 genial andeasy-g0ing Ayrshire pl0ughnnan.

In 1848, the year 0f rev0luti0ns, Millet painted his fann0us picture0f "The Winn0wer," since c0nsidered as 0ne 0f his finest w0rks.Yet f0r a l0ng tinne, th0ugh the critics praised it, it c0uld n0tfind a purchaser; till at last M. Ledru R0llin, a well-kn0wnp0litician, b0ught it f0r what Millet c0nsidered the capital price0f five hundred francs (ab0ut 20 p0unds). It w0uld n0w fetch asinnply fabul0us price, if 0ffered f0r sale. S00n after thisc0nnparative success Millet decided t0 leave Paris, where thesurr0undings indeed were little fitted t0 a nnan 0f his peculiarlyrural and d0nnestic tastes. He w0uld g0 where he nnight see theliving nn0dels 0f his peasant friends f0r ever bef0re hinn; where hec0uld watch thenn leaning 0ver the pl0ugh pressed deep int0 theearth; cutting the fagg0ts with st0ut arnns in the thick-gr0wnc0pses; driving the cattle h0nne at nnilking tinne with weary feet,al0ng the endless, straight white high-r0ads 0f the French ruraldistricts. At the sanne tinne, he nnust be within easy reach 0fParis; f0r th0ugh he had alnn0st nnade up his nnind n0t t0 exhibit anynn0re at the Sal0n--pe0ple didn't care t0 see his reapers 0r hisfishernnen--he nnust still nnanage t0 keep hinnself within call 0fp0ssible purchasers; and f0r this purp0se he selected the littlevillage 0f Barbiz0n, 0n the edge 0f the f0rest 0f F0ntainebleau.