Artwork
The Ploughman
The Ploughman is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Peter Moran. It dates from 1886 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Peter Moran’s 1886 etching, titled The Ploughman, presents a rural labor scene rendered in black ink on wove paper. The composition centers on a solitary farmer guiding a plow pulled by two brown horses, set against a modestly detailed landscape that includes distant trees, a flock of small birds, and a cloud‑filled sky.
Subject & Meaning
The work captures the routine exertion of agricultural work, emphasizing the farmer’s steady grip on the plow and the forward motion of the animals. The inclusion of birds and the expansive sky suggests a broader natural environment, underscoring the interdependence of human effort and the countryside.
Technique & Style
Moran employs a range of gray tones and fine line work to convey texture and depth, from the fur of the horses to the foliage in the background. The use of black ink on wove paper allows for subtle gradations, creating a sense of atmosphere while maintaining crisp detail in the figures and equipment.
History & Provenance
Created in 1886, The Ploughman is part of Moran’s broader output of American printmaking during the late nineteenth century, a period when etching was increasingly used to document everyday scenes. The print has circulated among collectors of American etchings and appears in several museum collections focused on 19th‑century American art.
Context
Moran’s etching aligns with a growing interest in realistic depictions of labor during the post‑Civil War era, reflecting both the romanticization of agrarian life and an emerging documentary impulse in American visual culture.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Peter Moran (March 4, 1841 – November 9, 1914) was a British-born American painter and etcher.
