Corn Husking

David Gilmour Blythe

ca. 1863–64 · Oil on canvas · The American Wing

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.

Artist

David Gilmour Blythe

Date

ca. 1863–64

Medium

Oil on canvas

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Collection, Wolfe Fund, 1957