Who was Jean-François Millet and what were some of his famous paintings and works of art?

Jean-François Millet (1814-1875) was a French painter and one of the founders of the Barbizon school in rural France. He is best known for his realistic paintings of rural life and peasants, which often had a social and political message. Millet's work was a precursor to the realism and naturalism movements that emerged later in the 19th century.

One of Millet's most famous paintings is 'The Gleaners' (1857), which depicts three peasant women gleaning the remains of a harvest. Another well-known work is 'The Angelus' (1857-59), which portrays two peasants pausing to say a prayer in a field at sunset. Millet also painted many other scenes of rural life, such as 'The Shepherdess' (1856), 'The Sower' (1850) and 'The Potato Harvest' (1855).

Throughout his career, Millet continued to paint scenes of rural life and the working class, as well as biblical scenes. His works have had a lasting impact on the art world and continue to inspire artists today.