The Harvest 1857

Editor: Here we have Pissarro's "The Harvest," created in 1857 using oil paints, and very much evoking that Plein-air aesthetic. It shows peasants loading hay onto a cart. What strikes me is how monumental and solid the hay pile is compared to the almost sketch-like landscape. What stands out to you? Curator: Indeed. Notice how Pissarro's early work focuses on the labor itself? We see the accumulation of material—hay— achieved through collective effort. The roughness of the brushstrokes, the very tangible application of paint, they echo the physicality of agricultural work, don't they? Consider, too, that the consumption of landscapes as subject matter in painting coincides with dramatic shifts in land use during this period. What boundaries between representation, land ownership, and consumption are at play? Editor: That’s fascinating, connecting the brushstrokes to the physicality of work. It makes me think about how these kinds of paintings maybe gloss over the really difficult conditions for peasant laborers? Curator: Precisely. This piece highlights the social context around production and consumption of both goods, and images, wouldn't you agree? The idyllic image conveniently avoids depicting things such as oppressive labour. What stories do the materials used and depicted truly tell us about power and society? Editor: It's a little sobering to see it that way. I was initially just charmed by the impressionistic style. Curator: The "charm" itself is part of the consumption process! We consume the image, perhaps without fully acknowledging the implications of the scene itself, or the context. Food for thought. Editor: This makes me want to do more research. Thanks so much for sharing. Curator: My pleasure. Remember to consider material conditions in all of art’s manifestations!