Spring 1830

David Lucas created this mezzotint print, titled "Spring," sometime around 1830, after a painting by John Constable. In this period, Britain was undergoing agricultural and industrial revolutions, changing the face of the rural landscape and the lives of the working class. In this print, we see laborers and animals at work in the fields, framed by a looming windmill. It speaks to the relationship between labor, identity, and landscape that was being reshaped by industrialization. The image seems to romanticize rural labor, yet also hints at the relentless work involved in cultivation. The seasonal title, "Spring," suggests renewal but also the cyclical nature of agricultural work and the social structures that govern it. Lucas's print invites us to consider the emotional and physical realities of rural life during a time of profound change and the relationship between progress and tradition.