Summer Morning 1831

"Summer Morning" is a print by David Lucas, created in the 19th century, a time of significant social and economic change in England. Lucas’s print depicts a pastoral scene—a woman and child resting in a field. What's interesting here is the way this image relates to the social realities of the time. During the 1800's there was a growing divide between the rural and urban populations. As industrialization progressed, idealized images of rural life became popular, in part, as a response to increasing urbanization. This print offers a nostalgic view of the countryside, removed from the harsh realities of agricultural labor, such as poverty and hardship. It’s a scene that evokes tranquility and simplicity, but it also raises questions about whose experiences are being represented and whose are being left out. Looking at this print, consider the stories it tells and the stories it leaves untold, and how it might shape our understanding of both the past and the present.