Field with Laborers (from Sketchbook VII) 1886

"Field with Laborers (from Sketchbook VII)" is a pencil sketch on paper by American landscape artist William Trost Richards, dating back to 1886. This small-scale work, now held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, depicts a simple yet evocative scene of a field with laborers working. Richards's meticulous attention to detail is evident in the subtle shading and the depiction of the workers' figures, adding a sense of realism to this intimate study of rural life. The sketch embodies the artist's fascination with the natural world and his ability to capture the essence of everyday life in a poetic and evocative way.