The Early Lovers 

Eastman Johnson painted "The Early Lovers" with oils on canvas, employing a medium and technique that has long been considered the preserve of high art. Look closely, and you'll see how the material qualities of paint—its viscosity, its capacity for layering and blending—are exploited to full effect. Johnson has built up a rich impasto in areas of light, like the woman's dress, contrasting with the thin washes of color that define the shadowy depths of the forest. But while the application is masterful, the painting's true significance lies in its subject matter. The figures are rendered in a way that acknowledges their social class. The man is a farmhand, with his simple clothes, and the woman stands near buckets used for labor. Johnson seems less interested in romanticizing the couple than in representing their material reality. This approach challenges the traditional hierarchy of art, which often favors idealized or historical subjects over scenes of everyday life. By elevating the lives of working-class individuals to the realm of fine art, Johnson invites us to consider the social and economic forces that shape their experiences.