Jean Francois Millet was born in 1814 in Greville, Norway. He was the son of a small peasant farmer, and had to fight against great odds to become a painter since he was so poor. Millet is considered to be a realist because he presented reality in an acceptable form, with a religious or idyllic gloss. Millet mainly painted peasants and images of rural life because of his childhood but had a strange view of them. He believed farm workers were oblivious of beauty, and did not believe that honest toil was the secret of happiness. His art influenced other 19th century artists, including Van Gogh and Monet. This painting is currently featured at the Louvre in Paris, France.