The Midday Meal c. 1835

James Ward’s "The Midday Meal" was created with oil on canvas, a familiar medium, yet here employed to depict a scene of everyday labor. Look at the scene – horses feeding, their harnesses loosened, with figures resting nearby. The work's muted palette and loose brushwork create a sense of immediacy. The artist doesn't shy away from showing the realities of agricultural labor, the scene reflecting the deep connection between people, animals, and the land. It's tempting to see this as a purely pastoral scene. But consider the labor implied, the constant toil of agricultural life, the dependence on both natural cycles and the market economy. Ward invites us to appreciate the beauty of the mundane, while subtly acknowledging the social realities of labor. In doing so, Ward blurs the lines between the idealized and the real, challenging our notions of both art and work.