Study of Houses and Farm Buildings, probably Vichy

Swirling graphite strokes describe houses visible beyond a rise, which Millet has clarified with pen and brown ink contour lines. This type of landscape, with a large empty foreground and the trees and foliage described in shorthand strokes, is typically associated with the artist's work during the summers of 1866 to 1868, which he spent in Vichy, a spa town in central France whose waters were celebrated for their health benefits. Millet often made drawings while on walks or carriage rides with his wife, carrying a small sketchbook that allowed him to make brief notations that could refresh his memory when back in the studio.