Mid-Day Rest

Artist: William Frederick Witherington, 1785-1865

Title:     Mid-Day Rest, Harvest

Work Type:      Painting

Date:    ca. 1840

Material:   Oil on board

Measurements: 8 x 11 1/2 inches

William Frederick Witherington, born in London in 1785, painted Mid-Day Rest in 1840. It is an oil painting on board. The painting depicts a harvest where many people are working together. The brush strokes are nearly invisible when viewing a picture of the painting. Witherington usually painted with short brush strokes and with thick paint but there is no description of this painting. The colors are soft and muted, yellows, and gray-blues, with a little touch of red. Some of the laborers are resting in the forefront, a man is drinking from a cask, a woman is holding a baby, and in the background some figures are continuing to work. There is a pile of what might be shirts or coats that have been discarded during the day. The clouds are darkening; a storm appears to be coming that produces a certain feeling of pressure to finish the work. Bundles of wheat or grain are tied together in the center of the painting. The horse, cart, and driver is gathering the bundles slowly. The laborers are men, women, and children, though their faces aren’t detailed. 

The painting reminded me of the early pioneers in America though the artist is British and the unknown subjects are peasants.  I chose this painting because it depicts the values that I think farmers still possess today; hard working people with their families and children, all laboring together until the job is done. The values of a farmer are reliability and honesty and their children grow up with a strong sense of family and hard work. 

Works Cited

Witherington, William Frederick. Mid-Day Rest Harvest. 1840. ARTstor Collection: Yale Center

 for British Art. Paul Mellon Collection. Access 28 Mar. 2015