The Weary Ploughman 1858 

Samuel Palmer’s etching “The Weary Ploughman” is a dark and atmospheric depiction of a lone figure, likely a farmer, returning home after a long day of work. The figure is silhouetted against a luminous sky, suggesting the end of the day and the start of the night. The composition is dominated by the dark landscape, with the figure dwarfed by the surrounding trees and hills. The etching’s sense of solitude and melancholic mood is heightened by the use of tonal contrast and detail, characteristic of Palmer’s Romantic style.