Untitled (Work in the Fields) c. 1930

Joseph John Paul Meert's "Untitled (Work in the Fields)," a powerful lithograph created around 1930, depicts the daily toil of farm laborers. The composition is centered around a group of figures bent over, picking crops in a field, their bodies mirroring the curves of the earth. A train passes in the background, a symbol of the industrializing world encroaching on rural life. The use of graphite creates a stark, yet realistic depiction of the scene, emphasizing the harsh realities of agricultural labor. Meert's work often captured the struggles of working-class people, highlighting the hardships faced by laborers in the early 20th century.