In the Shade 

John George Brown painted this oil on canvas, called In the Shade, sometime in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century. Brown was a British artist who became known in the United States for his sympathetic, but also often sentimental, depictions of the working class. Images like this one tell us much about the social conditions that shape artistic production. Here we see an old man, perhaps a farmer, sitting quietly in his home. The play of light and shadow creates a sense of intimacy and contemplation, yet also a feeling of isolation. Is this a celebration of rural life or a comment on its hardships? To understand Brown’s choices, we can delve into the history of American art institutions. What role did art play in shaping national identity? Did artists challenge or reinforce prevailing social norms? Primary sources, such as exhibition catalogs, art criticism, and artists' writings, can shed light on these questions. The meaning of a painting is always contingent on its social and institutional context.