Roman Ox (Standing) 

George Hemming Mason’s "Roman Ox (Standing)" captures the rural, agrarian life popular with the Barbizon school painters. Mason was working in a time of great industrial change in England, and like many artists, he romanticized the rural life that was rapidly disappearing. Here, the animal is rendered in earthy tones, standing firm, yet there is also a certain vulnerability in its posture. In this painting, Mason seems to be saying something more profound about the relationship between humans, animals, and the land. The ox, a symbol of labor and sustenance, is shown here with dignity. The painting also evokes questions of class and labor. Who does this animal serve? What does it mean to be yoked to the land, to a life of labor? Perhaps Mason is subtly commenting on the social structures of his time. It is a painting that resonates with a quiet, contemplative power.