Pastoral scene – Three men, one woman and child in foreground; one man to right carrying hay. Carriage to right in background and a man on horse. House and outbuildings in distance.
As the nation became more urbanized, a yearning for a simpler life developed. Currier and Ives tapped into this public sentiment by publishing scenes of life in the country. The prints often idealized the activities of farmers living in rural America and proved to be extremely popular throughout the 19th century. Harvest features a scene at harvest time. At right, an industrious man ties a sheaf of wheat while in the distance, others work in the field. Although the message of the print is clearly one of hard work, the print also celebrates the rewards of a pleasurable life and a close-knit community, represented by the two men, seated at center, as they converse with a woman and child.
