Farms on Canvas

European Artists

Farmhouse in Provence Vincent Van Gogh

Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh traveled to the Provence area in France to practice his painting skills. He used a combination of colors to make his painting stand out. As in this artwork, the artist depicts a turquoise blue sky above to compliment the red roofs of the buildings and the green of the trees below. Orange hues are used to make it all stand out further. This painting can be viewed at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC.

Farmhouse in a Wheat Field Vincent Van Gogh

Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh made use of bright, unmixed colors to paint the farmhouse in a field near Arles, France. He tended to use a variety of brushstrokes and gave minute details to make things stand out like the tree in this artwork.

The Farmer’s Wife and the Raven George Stubbs

English artist George Stubbs was best known for his paintings of horses. The artist completed this painting in 1782 based on a story from the book “Book of Fables” by John Gay. In the artwork he depicts a farmer’s wife riding a white horse to market planning to sell the eggs in the basket. In the story, the old horse Blind Ball is frightened by a squawking raven high up in a tree. The horse slips and collapses to the ground and the eggs fall from the basket and break.

Haymakers George Stubbs

English artist George Stubbs was a master at capturing rural scenes. This artwork comes to life with its depicted characters showing the child stopping in front of the hay cart, the lady holding her rake erects, the ladies raking in hay, and the guy atop the cart.

A Farmyard in Normandy Claude Monet

French artist Claude Monet created this painting during the early years of his career. At the age of 23. he learned to rapidly sketch and finish the paintings with paint patches and dabs to accurately depict the landscape. This painting has a lot of detail and interesting things to note in a farmyard. A cow and geese can be seen as well as the farmer and his son and a good deal of the farmyard is reflected in the pond.

The Farm at Les Collettes, Cagnes Pierre-Auguste Renoir

French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir created this oil on canvas in the early 20th century. The artist bought the estate Les Collettes in Cagnes near Nice, France in 1907. He relocated there in the autumn of 1908. This was a charming farmhouse with olive and orange orchards and surrounded by a mountainous countryside. Today the artwork can be viewed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

American Artists

American Gothic Grant Wood

This is among the most recognized paintings around the world and one of the most recognizable artworks in American society. It has been copied and parodied but remains a timeless classic painting.

American artist Grant Wool painted two serious-looking individuals in front of their farmhouse. This artwork is considered one of the most iconic works of American art. He completed the painting in 1930 to express the hardships people in the US faced during the Great Depression of the 1920s. This painting is a part of Social Realism painting that was used to convey the American spirit in the early part of the 20th century when the hard life of farming was a lifeline for many in the US.

Farmer with a Pitch Winslow Homer

American landscape artist Winslow Homer was recognized for his artworks of the Civil War and rural American life. In the 1870s he completely took to painting agricultural, farm-based, and coastal scenes. In this painting, he shows a young farmer with a pitch held behind his neck giving the impression that the farmer was stretching after a day’s hard work.

Haymaking Winslow Homer

American artist Winslow Homer created this artwork depicting haymaking which restored optimism to a war-ravaged nation assuring those who viewed the painting of the country’s future health and prosperity. The painting shows a young farmer with a pitchfork turning over hay so it would dry. In the background, an apple orchard can be seen.

Cider Making William Sydney Mount

American artist William Sydney Mount created this oil on canvas depicting the manufacturing of apple cider at a cider mill in Setauket, Long Island in New York. The cider mill operated until the early 20th century. The artist was paid $250 for his artwork. Today this painting can be viewed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.