The Rook and Pigeon

The location of the original painting from which this engraving is done is unknown. However, copies of this engraving are in the Frick Museum, NY and published in, The International Studio (New York: John Lane Company), vol. 32, no. 128 (October 1907), p. cxv

The actual engraver of this copy of the painting is unknown.

The Rook & the Pigeon, is a part of a colonial genre group of paintings which Millet produced in the late 1890’s through the early 1900’s, including Between Two Fires, The Black Sheep, The Proposal etc.  He often used the same people as models, or local residents  his Broadway, England home.

Model photos are owned by the family, from FDM photo album.

Some photographs of the modeling sessions for these paintings are known to exist, and it is clear to see that Millet was very concerned about getting the appropriate dress of the time period correct.  He is known to have had an original period costume collection numbering more than 2,000 pieces.  Some of the period costumes were donated to museums or universities by Lily following Millet’s death in 1912.  The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute has 26 pieces, including original Napoleonic period dresses, that they included in a special exhibition of Napoleonic dress, the mourning dress, Lily wore as model for Frank when he painted The Widow.

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/metpublications/The_Age_of_Napoleon_Costume_from_Revolution_to_Empire_1789_1815