Is He Living or Is He Dead is mainly about an outstanding painter Francois Millet who pretend to be dead in order to get reputation and money,because at that time a great artist has never been acknowledged until after he was starved and dead.Based on the critic approach of New Historicism,this thesis have analyzed how Millet subvert power and be contained by power,the capitalism and market,which criticized the phenomenon that the value of art is not decided by itself,but by power.No matter it is good or bad,if it is denied by power,it is valueless. Is He Living or Is He Dead is mainly about an outstanding painter Francois Millet who pretend to be dead in order to get reputation and money, because at that time a great artist has not been acknowledgedged until after he was starved and dead.Based on the criticism of New Historicism, but capitalized and the market, which criticized the phenomenon that the value of art is not decided by itself, but by power. No matter it is good or bad, if it is denied by power, it is valueless