The subject of a shepherdess knitting whilst tending her flock was a favourite for Millet during the 1850s and ’60s. This is a preparatory drawing for two 1856 paintings (Cincinnati Art Museum, Ohio and Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York). Resting against a bank or rock, the shepherdess has turned in her toes and rolled onto the outside of her feet; a comfortable resting position which conveys a gentle absorption in her task. Her shoes are sabots, a clog traditionally worn by Breton peasants.