Known for his realistic portrayals of French peasants, Millet produced this painting at the very end of his life. He based the scene on stories from his childhood that told of great flights of wild pigeons. When the birds settled in trees at night, the peasants blinded them with light from torches and then clubbed hundreds to death. Title Bird's-Nesters Creator Lifespan 1814/1875 Creator Nationality French Creator Gender Male Creator Death Place Barbizon, France Creator Birth Place Normandy, France Date 1874 Location France Physical Dimensions w36.5 x h29 in (Overall) Provenance The William L. Elkins Collection, 1924 Type Paintings Rights ? 2014 Philadelphia Museum of Art. All rights reserved. Medium Oil on canvas Artist/Maker Jean-Fran?ois Millet, French, 1814 - 1875
