Farmyard with Haystack and Pigs n.d.

This drawing of a farmyard scene, likely made in the 19th century, shows a rustic setting rendered in graphite on paper. The anonymous artist utilizes the qualities of graphite to create a textured surface that captures the scene's simplicity. The monochromatic palette, with its variations in shading, emphasizes the humble materials of the farmyard: wood, thatch, and hay. These materials reflect traditional building methods and the labor-intensive processes of rural life. The scene captures the essence of agrarian life, where the work involved in raising livestock and maintaining the farm is ever-present. The artist engaged with a long tradition of landscape drawing, but with a focus on the everyday rather than the picturesque. The lack of idealization, and the attention to the basic needs of survival, connects this work to wider social issues of labor and class, reminding us that even simple scenes can reflect deeper realities.