Shepherdess Knitting, outside the Village of Barbizon

Millet's adopted village of Barbizon bordered the forest of Fontainebleau. This young shepherdess knits in the shade of the forest while her dog keeps watch over the flock grazing in the field beyond. This peaceful scene is also a reminder of the activity and labor that characterized peasant life.

Throughout the 1850s, Millet almost exclusively used black conté crayon in his drawings. Encouraged by friend and biographer Alfred Sensier to make his drawings more appealing to collectors, Millet introduced more color into his works on paper through the use of pastel.