Not just the cereal harvest, but here paintings of the fruit harvest, from Bassano and Poussin, with grapes, figs, apples, blackberries, to Berthe Morisot.
Lhermitte
Reading the history of agriculture in landscape paintings tells the story of the revolution that has taken place over the last 500 years.
Paintings showing the ragged tatters work by peasants and labourers, from social realism and Naturalism between 1850-90.
Claude Bernard, whose 1865 book on experimental physiology was popular with Zola and many artists, two scientists who drew the structure of the brain and more.
From linear perspective projection, synthetic pigments like Prussian Blue, and colour theory, to the first new painting medium since oils, science and painting have developed together.
From 1880, he painted in Naturalist style, then switched to Impressionism in the early 1890s. He finally embraced post-Impressionism in the 1920s.
From 1880, Naturalism showed rural deprivation, but active farmyards with plenty of livestock. Then in the 20th century came the tractor.
Trained with Gérôme in Paris, he painted fine rural landscapes of Alpine meadows, religious works, and used advanced optical effects.
A party of landsfolk riding in horsedriven hay wagon, the artist’s mother sewing in Nabi style, tennis in Rhode Island, and a deserted table by the sea.
Photographers, musicians, harvesters, foresters, booksellers and propagandists, and tinkers from the roads of the past.