Thomas Waterman Wood
Born in Montpelier, Vermont, Thomas Waterman Wood painted idealized scenes of everyday life. He first established himself as a portrait painter, traveling widely to paint commissions. After a year of study in Europe, he began painting genre scenes and diverse images of American people—works that secured his reputation. Wood influenced other American artists as president of the National Academy of Design from 1891 to 1899. He also established the Wood Gallery of Art in his native Montpelier.
What does farming look like today?
In the nineteenth century, many American painters turned to rural themes as a reaction against increasing industrialization and technological progress. In this portrait of an American farmer at rest, Thomas Waterman Wood offers viewers an idealized image of a model citizen. Hardworking and happy, Wood's figure embodies the nostalgia of the era — leaning on his pitchfork with his jacket slung casually over his shoulder, he appears worlds removed from the rapid mechanization of the time.
Gift of Henry K.S. Williams
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