At the Well 

Henry Herbert La Thangue painted "At the Well" to explore rural life. He emerged as an artist during a time of significant social change in England, with growing industrialization and urbanization challenging traditional ways of life. In this painting, the artist portrays a rustic scene with the figure of a young worker drinking from a large jug at the well, set against a backdrop of chickens pecking in a yard. La Thangue’s choice to focus on the everyday life of rural laborers speaks to his interest in the realities of the working class. The warm color palette gives us a sense of the heat and dust of rural labor, but the painting offers an idealized view of country life that was rapidly changing. La Thangue invites us to reflect on the relationship between labor, identity, and the changing social landscape of the late 19th century. By showing us the dignity of labor, the painting acknowledges the emotional and lived experiences of those whose lives were rooted in the land.