Haymaking c. 1808

David Cox made this watercolor painting called Haymaking, which shows laborers gathering hay in a field. The very fluidity of watercolor, applied in thin washes, gives a sense of how weather and atmosphere determine the pace of agricultural work. You can almost feel the dampness in the air. The texture of the paper shows through in places, adding to the impression of a transient moment captured. Consider the amount of labor implied in this scene. It's not only about the backbreaking work of cutting and gathering the hay itself, but also about the social structures that enable this work to happen at all. Cox is not only representing the material reality of farming, but also the larger economic forces at play. Recognizing the labor inherent in art, and the social context of its production, invites a richer understanding of its meaning, and of its value.