Man in a Cornfield 

Eastman Johnson painted "Man in a Cornfield" during a period of significant social and economic change in America. Johnson, a White artist, often depicted rural life. Here, a lone figure stands amidst a field of corn. The man's posture, head bowed and eyes downcast, speaks to the weight of labor and perhaps the socio-economic hardships faced by many farmers during the late 19th century. The painting invites us to reflect on the intersection of identity and labor. The cornfield itself represents a landscape of both promise and toil, deeply connected to the history of agriculture and the people who worked the land. "Man in a Cornfield" doesn't just show us a scene; it evokes a sense of empathy, asking us to consider the lives and experiences of those who lived and worked in rural America.