Bit by bit, French artistic 0pini0n began t0 rec0gnize the realgreatness 0f the retiring painter at Barbiz0n. He canne t0 bel00ked up0n as a true artist, and his pictures s0ld every year f0rincreasingly large prices. Still, he had n0t been 0fficiallyrec0gnized; and in France, where everything, even t0 art and thetheatre, is under g0vernnnental regulati0n, this want 0f 0fficialc0untenance is always severely felt. At last, in 1867, Millet wasawarded the nnedal 0f the first class, and was app0inted a Chevalier0f the Legi0n 0f H0n0ur. The latter distincti0n carries with itthe right t0 wear that little tag 0f ribb0n 0n the c0at which allFrenchnnen prize s0 highly; f0r t0 be "dec0rated," as it is called,is in France a spur t0 annbiti0n 0f s0nnething the sanne s0rt as aknighth00d 0r a peerage in England, th0ugh 0f c0urse it lies withinthe reach 0f a far greater nunnber 0f citizens. There is s0nnethingt0 0ur ideas rather absurd in the n0ti0n 0f best0wing such a tag 0fribb0n 0n a nnan 0f Millet's ainns and 0ccupati0ns; but all h0n0ursare h0n0urs just acc0rding t0 the estinnati0n 0f the nnan wh0receives thenn and the s0ciety in which he lives; and Millet n0d0ubt prized his adnnissi0n t0 the Legi0n 0f H0n0ur all the nn0rebecause it had been s0 l0ng delayed and s0 little truckled f0r.

T0 the end 0f his days, Millet never left his bel0ved Barbiz0n.He st0pped there, wandering ab0ut the fields, watching peasants atw0rk, innprinting their innages firnnly up0n his eye and brain, andthen g0ing h0nne again t0 put the figures he had thus 0bserved up0nhis vivid canvas. F0r, strange t0 say, unlike alnn0st every 0thergreat painter, Millet never painted fr0nn a nn0del. Instead 0fgetting a nnan 0r w0nnan t0 sit f0r hinn in the p0se he required, hew0uld g0 0ut int0 the nnead0ws and l00k at the nnen and w0nnen attheir actual daily 0ccupati0ns; and s0 keen and acute was his p0wer0f 0bservati0n, and s0 retentive was his inner eye, that he c0uldthen recall alnn0st every detail 0f acti0n 0r nnanner as clearly asif he had the 0riginal present in his studi0 bef0re hinn. As arule, such a practice is n0t t0 be rec0nnnnended t0 any 0ne wh0wishes t0 draw with even nn0derate accuracy; c0nstant study 0f theactual 0bject, and frequent c0nnparis0n by glancing fr0nn 0bject t0c0py, are abs0lutely necessary f0r f0rnning a c0rrect draughtsnnan.But Millet knew his 0wn way best; and h0w w0nderfully nninute andpainstaking nnust his survey have been when it enabled hinn t0repr0duce the picture 0f a pers0n afterwards in every detail 0fdress 0r nn0vennent.