Spring (Daphnis and Chloë)|Jean-François Millet |Search Collection

Updated 17 April 2025

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On Display

Permanent collection

Jean-François Millet

Gruchy, 1814 - Barbizon, 1875

Spring (Daphnis and Chloë)

Date	1865
Materials and Techniques	oil on canvas
Size（cm）	235.5 x 134.5
Inscriptions	Signed lower right: J. F. Millet
Credit Line	Matsukata Collection
Standard ref.	M756
Category	Paintings
Collection Number	P.1959-0146

The romantic tale of Daphnis and Chloe, attributed to the ancient Greek poet Longus, concerns two abandoned children who are raised by herdsmen and grow up to fulfill their mutual love. The present painting is one of a series of decorative works by Jean-François Millet entitled “Four Seasons”, Spring sets the theme of awakening young love in a pastoral scene, with two naïve figures, using mild color tones and soft brushwork. Among Millet’s many representations of nature and peasants, the painting shows a marked Classical tendency.(Source: Gallery label, October 2016)

Provenance

Charles-Xavier Thomas, known as Thomas de Colmar; Louis Nicolas André Thomas, Duke of Bojano; his sale, Hôtel Drouot, Paris, 16–17 April 1875; [?] Agnew & Sons Ltd., London, no. 34873 [gallery label on the reverse]; purchased from Ms. d'Ur by Galerie Durand-Ruel, New York, 22 January 1901, stock no. 2857, photo 1767; purchased from the above by Henry Osborne Havemeyer, New York, 17 June 1901; bought back from the above by Galarie Durand-Ruel, New York, 7 February 1903, who sold to Felix Isman, 13 February 1906; his sale, American Art Association, 3 February 1911, lot 25, where repurchased by Galerie Durand-Ruel; his stock at least until 1921; purchased from the above by Kojiro Matsukata, Kobe, 31 December 1921 [see records in the Durand-Ruel & Cie Archives, Paris]; sequestered by French government, 1944; vested in French government under San Francisco Peace Treaty, 1952; transferred from French to Japanese government, 23 January 1959; entered into NMWA, April 1959.

Exhibition History

1947: De David à Cézanne, Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussel, 0 November 1947 - 0 January 1948, cat. no. 63, pl. 34, repr.
1976: Millet, Corot, Courbet et l'École de Barbizon, Musée Départemental d'Art Tochigi, Utsunomiya, 0 1976 - 0 1976, cat. no. 52, col. repr.
1979: Jean-François Millet et l'École de Barbizon, Musée Départemental d'Art Yamanashi, Kofu, 13 October 1979 - 23 November 1979, cat. no. 51, col. repr.
1991: Jean François Millet, The Bunkamura Museum of Art, Tokyo, 10 August 1991 - 23 September 1991, Kyoto Munisipal Museum of Art, 3 October -27 October 1991; Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Art, 3 November-8 December 1991, cat. no. 39, repr.
1997: Expressiveness of Materials, National Museum of Art, Osaka, 17 April 1997 - 22 June 1997, cat. no. 11
1997: [Exhibition for Children] Every Picture Tells a Story, Tokyo National Museum, 1 July 1997 - 31 August 1997
2014: Amitié et Amour à travers l'Œuvre de Millet, Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Art, Kofu, 19 July 2014 - 31 August 2014, Fuchu Art Museum, Fuchu, 10 September-23 October; The Miyagi Museum of Art, Sendai, 1 November-14 December, cat. no. 78, col. repr.
2019: The Matsukata Collection: A One-Hundred-Year Odyssey: Upon the 60th Anniversary of the NMWA, The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo, 11 June 2019 - 23 September 2019, cat. no. 94, col. repr.
2022: Renoir—Monet—Gauguin: Images of a Floating World: the Collections of Kōjirō Matsukata and Karl Ernst Osthaus, Museum Folkwang, 6 February 2022 - 15 May 2022
2022: In Dialogue with Nature - from Friedrich, Monet and Van Gogh to Richter, The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo, 4 June 2022 - 11 September 2022, cat. no. 77

Bibliography

1881: Sensier, A. La vie et l'œuvre de Jean-François Millet. Paris, 1881, pp. 286-287.
1900: Soullié, L. Peintures, aquarelles, pastels, dessins de Jean-François Millet relevés dans les catalogues de ventes de 1849 à 1900. Paris, 1900, p. 65.
1902: Cartwright, J. Jean-François Millet. New York, 1902, p. 267.
1921: Moreau-Nélaton, E. Millet raconté par lui-même. tome 2, Paris, 1921, p. 156, fig. 195.
1955: La Collection Matsukata, Tokyo, Asahi- Shimbun, 1955 (Japanese), no. 32, repr.
1961: Catalogue du Musée National d'Art Occidental, Tokyo. Tokyo, The National Museum of Western Art, 1961 (Préface and Catalogue Général in Japanese and French), P-203.
1971: Les cent chefs-d'oeuvre du Musée National d'Art Occidental. Tokyo, The National Museum of Western Art, 1971 (Japanese), no. 44, repr.
1973: Sasaki, H. Corot, Millet, Courbet. Tokyo, 1973, no. 39, repr, p. 130.
1975: Jean-François Millet (exh. cat.). Paris, Grand Palais, 1975, p. 207, mentioned under cat. no. 165.
1975: Les cent chefs-d'oeuvre du Musée National d'Art Occidental. Tokyo, The National Museum of Western Art, 1975 (Japanese), no. 22, repr.
1978: Masterpieces of the National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo. Tokyo, The National Museum of Western Art, 1978 (Japanese, preface in Japanese and English), no. 29, repr.
1979: The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo: Catalogue of Paintings. Tokyo, The National Museum of Western Art, 1979, no. 185, repr.
1990: The Old Matsukata Collection. Kobe City Museum, ed. Kobe, "Matsukata Korekushon Ten" Jikkoiinkai, 1990, cat. no. 1043.
1991: Jean-François Millet (exh. cat.). Ide, Yoichiro. [Tokyo]. Nippon Television Network, 1991, pp. 38-39, 102-103, 186, 230, 235, cat. no. 39, col. repr.
2006: Masterpieces of The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo. Tokyo, The National Museum of Western Art; Tokyo, The Western Art Foundation, 2006 (Japanese, preface in Japanese and English), no. 61, col. repr.
2009: Masterpieces of The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo. Tokyo, The National Museum of Western Art; Tokyo, The Western Art Foundation, 2009, no. 61, col. repr.
2013: Masterpieces: The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo. Tokyo, The Western Art Foundation, 2013 (Japanese, preface in Japanese and English), no. 77, col. repr.
2014: Amitié et Amour à travers l’Œuvre de Millet. [Tokyo], White International Relations Co., Ltd., c2014, cat. no. 78, col. repr.
2018: The Matsukata Collection: Complete Catalogue of the European Art. Kawaguchi, Masako; Jingaoka, Megumi, eds. vol. 1: Paintings, Tokyo, The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo, 2018, cat. no. 756, col. repr.
2019: The Matsukata Collection: A One-Hundred-Year Odyssey (exh. cat.). Jingaoka, Megumi, ed. Tokyo, The National Museum of the Western Art, Tokyo; Yomiuri Shimbun; NHK; NHK Promotions, 2019, pp. 180, 182-183, 364-365, cat. no. 94, col. repr.
2022: Renoir—Monet—Gauguin: Images of a Floating World: the Collections of Kōjirō Matsukata and Karl Ernst Osthaus (exh.cat.). Engel, Nadine; Herlemann, Rebecca, eds. Berlin, Hatje Cantz, [2022], pp. 309, 366, col. repr.
2022: In Dialogue with Nature: from Friedrich, Monet and Van Gogh to Richter (exh. cat.). Jingaoka, Megumi; Shinfuji, Atsushi; Yomiuri Shimbun, Museum Exhibition Department, eds. Tokyo, The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo; Yomiuri Shimbun; NHK; NHK Promotions, 2022, pp. 156, 261, cat. no. 77, col. repr.

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