The Progress of Husbandry c. 1964

Curator: Gilbert Spencer, born in 1892, created "The Progress of Husbandry," a large oil on canvas painting, which is a panorama of rural life. Editor: It feels almost dreamlike, doesn’t it? The figures seem to float within the landscape, their actions blending together. Curator: Spencer often explored themes of community and labor. Notice the figures interspersed with agricultural machinery. Editor: There's a lot happening, but what really strikes me is how idealized this vision of rural life appears. It presents such a nostalgic, almost pastoral image. Curator: Perhaps that speaks to a yearning for simpler times, away from the industrial revolution, reflecting an imagined past. The image of horses are prominent in this painting. Editor: Yes, though I wonder for whom that ideal existed. How does this imagery relate to actual rural communities, particularly regarding class and labor division? Curator: It’s a reminder of the stories paintings can tell and the questions they prompt about society's memory. Editor: Precisely. It's a beautiful, complex image that certainly leaves us much to consider about its historical and social implications.