Artwork
Last Load of Wheat
Last Load of Wheat is an oil painting by Jules Jacques Veyrassat. It is held in the collection of the Detroit Institute of Arts.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1896, *Last Load of Wheat* is an oil painting by French artist Jules Jacques Veyrassat. The work portrays a harvest scene in which a wagon laden with hay is drawn by two horses, while figures attend to the wheat. It is part of the Detroit Institute of Arts’ permanent collection.
Subject & Meaning
The composition captures a moment of rural labor during the wheat harvest. A woman perched on the haystack lifts a sheaf aloft, while a man with a scythe and another woman bearing a bundle walk beside the wagon. The cloudy sky and the collective activity convey the endurance and communal effort inherent in agrarian life.
Technique & Style
Veyrassat employs a realistic approach, rendering textures with precise brushwork: the roughness of the hay, the sheen of the horses’ coats, and the fabrics of the workers’ clothing are all clearly delineated. A muted palette of earth tones reinforces the modest, rustic atmosphere, while subtle contrasts of light and shadow model the forms without dramatic chiaroscuro.
History & Provenance
The painting was produced toward the end of Veyrassat’s career, a period when he frequently turned to agricultural subjects. After changing hands through private collections, it entered the Detroit Institute of Arts, where it remains on view as an example of late 19th‑century French rural genre painting.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jules Jacques Veyrassat (12 April 1828, Paris – 2 July 1893, Paris) was a French painter and etcher; associated with the Barbizon school. Most of his works feature animals.
