The Angelus
By: Jean-Francois Millet
Leah Caudel
Questions
1. What is the first thing you see in the painting?
2. Who do you think these people are?
3. What mood do you think is being set by body language in
this painting?
Analyze
The first thing I noticed was the man and woman. I think that these
people are workers or slaves because they are working on a farm
and they are both African American. I thought they might be slaves
because the clothes they are wearing are similar to clothes worn in
the time period of slavery. Both of these people have similar body
language. I think it sets a depressing tone.
Another thing I noticed was the
sky. Part of the sky is stormy
looking but the other side is very
clear and bright. I think it could
mean hope and a brighter future.
The Angelus
After I did more research on the painting I found out that the man
and the woman were slaves. Jean-Francois Millet created this
painting in 1857. The actual title is The Angelus Domini which
means, “ringing of church bells.” The painting is capturing a scene
where the church bell rings and everyone who can here it stops what
they’re doing and prays. The artist chose slaves to represent
hardships that people have to go through but they still believe Christ
will save them.
What types of appeal do you think
this painting has?
Appeals
I think that this painting has all three types of appeal.
1. It has logos because it makes sense that religion would have
been very important to slaves because for most it was all
they had. It gave them hope.
2. The painting has ethos because the artist lived during a time
when slavery was very popular and she would have known
what they went through.
3. It also has pathos because it makes you feel sorry for the
people in the painting. It should inspire you to be thankful
for what you have.
Bibliography
Samaha, Brother John M. The Angelus: an artistic
rendering. The Marian Library/International Marian
Research Institute
http://campus.udayton.edu/mary/gallery