I would like the name of the artist who painted "Blind Milton Reciting
Paradise Lost to his Daughters".   It is a very large painting, titled
in French, that hung in the New York Metropolitan Art Museum over
fifty years ago.

Hello,

You're likely looking for Mihaly Munkacsy "Blind Milton dictating
'Paradise Lost' to his daughters" (or just "Milton", oil on canvas,
1877-1878) which can be found at either the Hungarian National Gallery
in Budapest (93,8 x 123,9 cm) or the Public Library in New York (210 x
300 cm).

You can preview pictures here*:
http://www.artunframed.com/images/Monet55/munkacsy109.jpg
http://www.kfki.hu/keptar/kep/m/munkacsy/muvek/1874-79/milton.jpg
http://www.kfki.hu/keptar/kep/m/munkacsy/muvek/1874-79/milton2.jpg

Another resource hints that there's at least 5 variations of a
painting with such theme, quote Salon.com:
"The centerpiece of 'Trappings' is 'Family Values,' a series of five
poems, each one based on a different artist's painting of the blind
Milton dictating 'Paradise Lost' to his daughters."
http://www.salon.com/books/feature/1999/12/17/howard/index1.html

But I hope the first was the one you're looking for.

Munkacsy (born 20th February 1844 in Cäcilia Rock, died 1900) was a
Hungarian by the real name of Michael Leo Lieb.
More biographical information at the Encyclopedia Brittannica:
http://87.1911encyclopedia.org/M/MU/MUNKACSY_MICHAEL_VON.htm

*Preview pictures from the sites:
    http://www.artunframed.com/munkacsy.htm
    http://www.kfki.hu/keptar/english/m/munkacsy/muvek/1874-79/

Search strategies:
    Google search, Google image search
    variatons of: blind milton reciting/ dictating
            paradise lost daugther(s)
    as well as french variants (filles, paradis)
    "paradise lost, paradise regained"
    searches on the Metropolitan Museum of Art site
    combination: munkacsy milton

A little on the English Christian poet 
John "The Lady" or "Blind Milton" (1608-1674)

http://www.jmsblind.org/back.htm

http://www.incompetech.com/authors/milton/

poo-ga: fyi, although Milton was known briefly as 'The Lady' during
his schooldays, but the nickname didn't stick. The author of that site
is being facetious.

grimace

May I offer another suggestion?

I note remark that the title was in French.
Deracroix, (1798~1863) the French master painted the same subject in
1827/1828.
Source: http://www.europeanpaintings.com/exhibits/romantic/delcrxch.htm

An image is available at Tigertail Virtual Museum 
Source: http://www.tigtail.org/TVM/L_View/X2/a.NeoClassic/neoclassic.html
And
http://www.tigtail.org/TVM/L_View/X2/a.NeoClassic/delacroix/M/delacroix_milton_dictating_paradise_lost.jpg


Unfortunately the location of the painting is not identified. There is
however, a contact point for the museum so you could ask for further
information.

There is another image available through the google.com cache of
www.gallery.xy.co.kr  . The direct link does not work at the moment so
use the google cache.
Source: http://216.239.35.100/search?q=cache:wPALZAw0X3UC:gallery.xy.co.kr/artist/foart/modern/delacroix/de_art2.htm+beaux+arts+delacroix+milton&hl=en&ie=UTF8

This gives the following information:
“Milton Dictating "Paradise Lost" to his Daughters, 1826, oil on
canvas, Collection of Mr. and Mrs. George Heard Hamilton, Mass”

I have not been able to trace it any further apart from the fact that
Mr George Heard Hamilton was a famous Art Historian.

I hope this is a useful contribution to your research.

Answerfinder-ga