Artwork
Seated Nude (Les Regrets)
Seated Nude (Les Regrets) is an unspecified painting by the Realist artist Jean François Millet. It dates from 1854 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1854 by French painter Jean‑François Millet, *Seated Nude (Les Regrets)* belongs to the Realist current of mid‑nineteenth‑century art. Unlike the majority of Millet’s oeuvre, which concentrates on agrarian labor, this canvas presents a solitary nude figure in an intimate, unembellished setting, reflecting the movement’s preference for ordinary, unidealised subjects.
Subject & Meaning
The work depicts a lone individual seated with their back turned toward the viewer, torso slightly inclined forward, arms raised behind the head and resting on a coarse, green‑tinged surface. The surrounding space recedes into a dark, indistinct background, hinting at a vague, shadowy form to the right, which contributes to a sense of private contemplation rather than narrative drama.
Technique & Style
Millet applies paint in thick, tactile strokes that render the flesh and drapery with palpable texture, a method akin to impasto. The visible brushwork emphasizes the materiality of the surface, reinforcing the realist aim of portraying the figure as a solid, lived body rather than an idealised silhouette.
History & Provenance
*Seated Nude (Les Regrets)* is part of the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The painting entered the museum’s holdings through acquisition in the early twentieth century, joining a broader assemblage of Millet’s works that illustrate the artist’s range beyond his celebrated peasant scenes.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jean-François Millet (French pronunciation: ; 4 October 1814 – 20 January 1875) was a French painter and one of the founders of the Barbizon school in rural France.
