Bird's-Nesters

The Bird's-Nesters was the last painting done by Millet. Based on stories from his grandmother that told of flights of wild pigeons that would settle in the trees at night. The local peasant would blind and confuse the pigeons in the tree with torches and club them to death by the hundreds to secure a feast. Millets depictions of rural farm life were often harshly viewed by his critics yet remained amongst the most popular paintings of his time.