The Angelus (Holy Family). Dimensions: 22.8 x 36 x 3 cm.

Francois Millet (1814-1875) painted his famous "Angelus" masterpiece in 1858-59 and it is now kept in the Louvre. The painting depicts a young peasant couple who have stopped working in the fields to pray the Angelus payer. (The Angelus Domini is a traditional prayer with an almost liturgical rhythm that is recited three times a day, in the morning, afternoon and evening). Displayed in 1867 the painting was immediately acclaimed for its depiction of the ethical and religious values of rural labour. Reproduced in postcards, almanacs and calendars, Millet's painting inspired numerous repetitions of this theme. These variants were often embellished with scenes more specifically linked to peasant life or specific symbols that underlined the scene's religious and rustic values. The image chosen by ImolArte is a perfect example of this tradition. The ways in which it differs from Millet's painting render its message even more explicit. Both the ripe field of corn it depicts and the peasants' child are under the protection of the Virgin Mary, who is a physical presence here, having been evoked by the Angelus prayer. The Virgin is holding the Baby Jesus in her arms and like the peasants' child, he is holding three ears of wheat from the cornfield behind him.