Accord

As a sculptor of genre subjects, Haag drew upon his experiences in both Europe and the United States. In a "New York Times" interview (July 1, 1906), he gave the following explanation of this work: "Here is another theme I take from my life and put in bronze…It is typical of my country and the toilers where I am born. It is a man and woman, two peasants of Sweden, who pull together the old-fashioned plow of wood…. I call it 'Accord,' because so I think the sexes come nearest together in the peasant class, in their daily work at the plow, in the field." Haag modeled this statuette in 1905, possibly earlier, and included it in an exhibition of his work focusing on labor themes in early 1906. Social activist and fellow immigrant John Spargo, an early admirer of Haag’s sculpture and author of one of the first articles on him, was instrumental in presenting "Accord" to the Metropolitan Museum.