Harvesting 

Editor: So, here we have "Harvesting" by Peter De Wint, and the Tate doesn't list a specific date. It’s a pretty large oil painting. I’m struck by the contrast between the dark foreground and the bright sky, it gives the whole scene a moody, almost romantic feel. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It feels like a memory, doesn't it? De Wint's landscapes always give me that sense of longing. The golden light suggests a fleeting moment, perhaps just before a storm. There’s a certain timelessness to it – do you think it idealizes rural life? Editor: Perhaps, it certainly romanticizes labor! I hadn't thought about the storm coming, but it definitely makes the light more interesting. Curator: Exactly! It’s that tension, that awareness of change, that makes it so captivating. Almost makes you want to be there, doesn’t it? Editor: It does! It makes you want to put on a comfy sweater and watch. I'll remember that sense of fleeting time from now on. Curator: Me too! I’ll never look at a field the same way!