ticketsMember | Make a donation

Talking It Over

1872
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 719
Perry’s canvases conjured happy memories for urban viewers by celebrating a vanishing way of life. The Yankee farmers portrayed here, however, resemble George Washington and Abraham Lincoln and thus summoned up more than simple nostalgic reverie. By seating the two icons of ideal American citizenry in a barnlike interior, Perry honored rural values in the face of the pressures of massive immigration and the unprecedented industrial and economic growth the nation was then experiencing.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Talking It Over
  • Artist: Enoch Wood Perry (1831–1915)
  • Date: 1872
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 22 1/4 x 29 1/4 in. (56.5 x 74.3 cm)
  • Credit Line: Gift of Erving and Joyce Wolf, in memory of Diane R. Wolf, 1980
  • Object Number: 1980.361
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
The True American, Enoch Wood Perry American, Oil on canvas, American
The True American
Enoch Wood Perry
ca. 1874
Rose Ranch (Ulupalakua, Maui)
Enoch Wood Perry
ca. 1864–65
A Month's Darning, Enoch Wood Perry American, Watercolor, gouache, and gum arabic on off-white wove paper, American
A Month's Darning
Enoch Wood Perry
1876
Ernesta (Child with Nurse), Cecilia Beaux American, Oil on canvas, American
Ernesta (Child with Nurse)
Cecilia Beaux
1894
The Rocky Mountains, Lander's Peak, Albert Bierstadt American, Oil on canvas, American
The Rocky Mountains, Lander's Peak
Albert Bierstadt
1863

Related Content

Timeline of Art History

Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Showing 4 of 5

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.