Artwork
Landscape with Haymakers
Landscape with Haymakers is a watercolor work on paper by the Impressionist artist John Robertson RA RI ROI Reid. It dates from 1921 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
John Robertson Reid’s watercolour *Landscape with Haymakers* (1921) depicts a rural labour scene. A group of figures, equipped with scythes, work in a sunlit field beneath a bright, cloud‑dotted sky. A stone wall borders the composition, while bare‑branch trees rise in the distance, framing the activity.
Subject & Meaning
The work records an agrarian routine, emphasizing the collective effort of haymaking. The workers’ simple attire and the utilitarian tools convey a straightforward, everyday labor, while the expansive sky suggests the broader natural forces that shape such tasks.
Technique & Style
Reid employs loose, rapid brushstrokes characteristic of watercolour, creating a sketch‑like texture across the landscape. The palette is muted, with natural light rendered through soft shadows that fall gently on the grass and figures, enhancing the scene’s atmospheric quality.
History & Provenance
Signed and dated by the artist, the painting entered the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, where it remains on view. Its presence in the museum’s holdings reflects Reid’s recognition within early‑20th‑century British watercolour practice.
Artist & collection
Artist
John Robertson painted quiet British country scenes in watercolour around the 1910s and 1920s.
