Corn Husking
Blythe, who lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, painted satires, mainly of urban ills, but in "Corn Husking," he portrayed their rural counterpart. The work depicts a sudden outbreak of violence on an eerie, moonlit night among a group of boys engaged in the taxing and tedious task of husking recently harvested corn. The farm is dilapidated and the farming implements are carelessly strewn around the property, conveying the harsh realities of the setting. Blythe pointedly made poverty and discord the crux of a theme that is usually associated with abundance and harmony.
Artwork Details
- Title: Corn Husking
- Artist: David Gilmour Blythe (1815–1865)
- Date: ca. 1863–64
- Culture: American
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 24 x 33 1/2 in. (61 x 85.1 cm)
- Credit Line: Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Collection, Wolfe Fund, 1957
- Object Number: 57.19
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing
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David Gilmour Blythe
ca. 1860–63
Cecilia Beaux
1894
Albert Bierstadt
1863
George Caleb Bingham
1845
William Merritt Chase
ca. 1892
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