Ploegende boer 

"Plowing Farmer" shows a farmer guiding two horses as they plough a field. Anton Mauve created this work as a visual ode to rural life, a theme that gained prominence during the Hague School movement in the Netherlands during the late 19th century. Mauve's work often romanticized the Dutch countryside. Yet, this artistic choice simultaneously highlights and obscures the realities of the working class. The farmer’s labor is physically demanding, and Mauve's representation omits any signs of hardship or exploitation. The emotional heart of the work lies in the tension between the idyllic representation of rural life and the unacknowledged realities of agricultural labor. The painting invites us to reflect on the complex relationship between art and social commentary. It is a beautiful, yet incomplete, representation of a world where the dignity of labor is both celebrated and overlooked.