"The Gleaners" by Jean-Francois Millet, 1857, Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France

This painting depicts three women gleaning, which meant going through the fields to pick up all of the ears of corn that were missed by the harvesters. This backbreaking task was seen as one of the lowest occupations of society, but despite this, Millet seems to glorify their dignity: even though there is an overseer far in the background (representing authority and the landlord who employs them), the women are not shown to be subservient. Although they are not exactly pleased with their situation, they show no signs of discontent or rebelliousness. The women simply do their arduous task, knowing that there is not much in the way of a reward in the end.

Because of its honest depiction of rural poverty, the painting was seen as politically subversive, much like Courbet's "The Stone Breakers."

Sources:

http://www.discoverfrance.net/France/Art/Millet/Millet.shtml

http://www.musee-orsay.fr/index.php?id=851&L=1&tx_commentaire_pi1[showUid]=341&no_cache=1

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/rlsm/hd_rlsm.htm