The Early Ploughman

Samuel Alcock & Company, 1856

MEDIUMEtching on paper
DIMENSIONSImage: 13.1 × 19.8 cm (5 3/16 × 7 13/16 in.); Sheet: 16.8 × 24.4 cm (6 5/8 × 9 5/8 in.)
LOCATIONArt Institute of Chicago
COLLECTIONPrints and Drawings
CULTUREEngland
CREDIT LINEGift of Harold R. Warner

Stop and observe this etching for its peaceful depiction of a farmer at dawn. It captures the quiet dignity of rural labor and the vastness of the landscape in the mid-19th century.

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ABOUT THIS WORK

This etching, "The Early Ploughman," transports us to a quiet, rural morning. A lone figure guides a team of horses across a field, their forms silhouetted against a sky that hints at the breaking dawn. The artist, Samuel Alcock & Company, captures a sense of timeless labor, with the rhythmic lines of the ploughed earth leading the eye into the distance. The composition emphasizes the vastness of the landscape compared to the human effort, suggesting a profound connection between man and nature. This work, created around 1856, reflects a broader 19th-century interest in pastoral scenes and the dignity of agricultural life, a common theme in art of the period.

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What to Notice

1

The way the light seems to emerge from the horizon, illuminating the clouds.

2

The precise lines of the ploughed furrows, indicating recent work.

3

The small, distant figures of the farmer and horses, emphasizing scale.

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Audio Deep Dive

Stop and observe this etching for its peaceful depiction of a farmer at dawn. It captures the quiet dignity of rural labor and the vastness of the landscape in…

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THE ARTIST
Samuel Alcock & Company

Samuel Alcock & Company, a prominent British business, was renowned for its intricate ceramic designs, particularly elegant cups and tureens, in the mid-19th century.

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