Artwork
Carting Corn
Carting Corn is a print by Laura Knight. It dates from 1943 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Laura Knight’s 1943 monochrome print, titled “Carting Corn,” presents a rural scene in which a horse draws a cart laden with corn across a grassy field. The composition places the animal and its load in the foreground, while distant hills recede beneath a light sky.
Subject & Meaning
The work captures a moment of agricultural labor, emphasizing the partnership between animal and farmer. The horse’s lowered head and strained posture convey the effort required to transport the harvest, reflecting the everyday realities of wartime countryside life.
Technique & Style
Executed in a detailed, realistic manner, the print relies on tonal variation to model form. Knight renders the horse and cart with precise line work and shading, while the surrounding landscape is treated more loosely, allowing the background hills and sky to dissolve into softer tones.
History & Provenance
Created in 1943, the print belongs to Knight’s wartime output, a period when she documented British rural scenes. It is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, which acquired it as part of its holdings of early‑20th‑century British prints.
Artist & collection
Artist
Dame Laura Knight was an English artist who worked in oils, watercolours, etching, engraving and drypoint.
