Dimensions: support: 940 x 1397 mm frame: 1180 x 1643 x 128 mm
Copyright: CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Editor: This is John Linnell's "Reapers, Noonday Rest," housed at the Tate. The laborers nestled amongst the haystacks give the painting such a placid, golden feeling. What strikes you about the composition? Curator: The painting presents a complex interplay of horizontal and vertical lines. Notice how the reclining figures form a horizontal counterpoint to the vertical stacks of wheat, creating a balanced tension. The use of light further accentuates this structure. Editor: I hadn't considered that. So, it's more than just a pretty picture? Curator: Precisely. The formal elements—color, line, composition—contribute to a deeper understanding of its structure. Editor: That's a completely different lens to look through, thanks! Curator: My pleasure. I'm glad I could guide you through the underlying structure.
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http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/linnell-reapers-noonday-rest-n01546
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Linnell claimed that this work was ‘truer to Nature than most pictures’. However, he had been a friend of the visionary artists William Blake and Samuel Palmer, and there may be a more visionary quality to this scene. The theme of rural labourers at rest was familiar, but the glowing light and curious rhythms combine to create a quite original sense of monumentality. Linnell’s poetic visions of the countryside, far detached from the sometimes harsh realities of rural life, were much sought-after by collectors. This painting is a replica, by the artist, of a work he had sold in 1862. Gallery label, September 2004
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