Corn Huskers 1934

Ernest Fiene's lithograph "Corn Huskers" captures a slice of rural life with incredible detail. The entire image is made through the act of drawing with stone, a constant to and fro of rubbing and hatching. I can imagine Fiene composing this scene, thinking about the light falling across the cornfields, the weight of the corn in the huskers' hands, and the quiet rhythm of their work. I see the artist thinking: How can I translate all of this into delicate strokes and marks? There’s a real tenderness in the way the men are depicted, focused on the task at hand, almost meditative in their concentration. Fiene's cross-hatching defines their clothing and faces, giving weight to their forms and the rough textures of their labor. That sense of touch, of working with your hands, connects Fiene to artists like Millet or Van Gogh. It's a lineage of artists who see beauty and dignity in everyday labor, who elevate the ordinary into something extraordinary. It is clear that the artist sympathized with the farmers. His decision to draw the farmers with such care makes me think that art can be a form of respect.