Jean-François Millet painted The Angelus in the late 1850s. Millet was reportedly inspired to create this painting by his grandmother who, whenever she heard church bells ringing when they were working in the fields, would stop and say the Angelus prayer for the poor departed. Among many others, Van Gogh and Dalí greatly admired this painting. Prints of this painting hung in homes of thousands of devout households throughout France.
The Angelus
oil on canvas • 55.5 × 66 cm
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Jean-François Millet