Woodland Scene with a Peasant, a Horse, and a Cart c. 1760

Thomas Gainsborough likely made this watercolor and graphite landscape in the late 18th century. Look closely, and you'll see how the soft wash of the watercolor creates a hazy, atmospheric effect. The quick graphite strokes suggest the density of the forest and the rough texture of the peasant's cart. Gainsborough was celebrated as a painter of portraits and landscapes, but his fascination with the lives of working people isn't always discussed. This scene, with its focus on the everyday labor of a peasant and his horse, reveals his attentiveness to the rural economy and the individuals who shaped it. The way he describes the wood suggests a personal connection to the material of craftsmanship, reminding us that the landscape itself is a site of labor and production. By focusing on the materiality of both the artwork and its subject, we see how Gainsborough blurs the line between fine art and craft, inviting us to consider the social context of his artistic vision.