Labor

  • The Little Worker (1902-1912)

    The Little Worker (1902-1912)

    Helen Galloway McNicoll (Canadian, unknown)

    A young woman bends over her work, sunlight pooling around her. The brushstrokes blur her form slightly—not hurried, but absorbed. The room feels quiet except for the rustle of fabric, the weight of daily labor softened by the way the light touches everything.

  • Old Woman Gathering Faggots (1865)

    Old Woman Gathering Faggots (1865)

    Winslow Homer (American, 1836–1910)

    A solitary elderly woman gathers firewood in a stark landscape, her quiet labor rendered with raw honesty and quiet dignity.

  • Tucked Up (1904)

    Tucked Up (1904)

    Frederick George Cotman (English, 1850–1920)

    A tender yet unsentimental portrayal of rural laborers resting in golden hay, bathed in twilight’s fading glow.

  • The Wood Gatherers

    The Wood Gatherers

    François Alfred Delobbe (French, 1835–1915)

    A tender yet unsentimental glimpse of rural life, where figures merge with the forest in their daily labor.

  • Le trecciaiole di paglia (1868)

    Le trecciaiole di paglia (1868)

    Egisto Ferroni (Italian, 1835–1912)

    A serene depiction of women weaving straw, bathed in warm light and earthy tones, celebrating the quiet grace of rural labor.

  • Rough Work (1883)

    Rough Work (1883)

    Winslow Homer (American, 1836–1910)

    A gritty, atmospheric depiction of manual labor, where brushstrokes and shadows convey both exhaustion and quiet perseverance.

  • Home From The Fields (circa 1880-84)

    Home From The Fields (circa 1880-84)

    Charles Sprague Pearce (American, 1851–1914)

    A farmer and his animals trudge home at dusk, bathed in golden light that whispers of exhaustion and quiet resilience.

  • The Siesta (After Millet)

    The Siesta (After Millet)

    Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853–1890)

    A luminous reimagining of laborers resting under a haystack, pulsing with van Gogh’s dynamic brushwork and radiant colors.