The Veteran in a New Field
The Veteran in a New Field is a mid 19th-century painting by American artist Winslow Homer. Done in oil on canvas, the painting depicts a farmer harvesting wheat in a field. Painted during the concluding year of the American Civil War, the painting is set in the conflict's aftermath and embodies the postwar demilitarization of American society.
| The Veteran in a New Field | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Winslow Homer |
| Year | 1865 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 61.3 cm × 96.8 cm (24.1 in × 38.1 in) |
| Location | Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City |
| Accession | 67.187.131 |
Description
Veteran was painted by Homer in 1865, the concluding year of the American Civil War.[1] The titular veteran is seen harvesting stalks of wheat with a scythe—a possible representation of the large loss of life during the recent conflict. Homer's inclusion of wheat - a pronouncedly Northern crop - may symbolize the Union victory over the South.[2] As noted by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the veteran can be identified as a former Union soldier by his discarded jacket and canteen in the right foreground of the painting.[3][4]
Homer sold the painting in 1866. The painting was eventually donated to the Met as part of the bequest of Adelaide Milton de Groot in 1967.[3]
References
- "Winslow Homer (1836–1910)". www.metmuseum.org. Retrieved 2020-10-22.
- Weinberg, Helene Barbara; Barratt, Carrie Rebora (2009). American Stories: Paintings of Everyday Life, 1765-1915. Metropolitan Museum of Art. p. 88. ISBN 978-1-58839-336-4.
- "The Veteran in a New Field". www.metmuseum.org. Retrieved 2020-10-22.
- Salinger, Margaretta M.; N.Y.), Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York (1986). Masterpieces of American Painting in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Metropolitan Museum of Art. ISBN 978-0-87099-472-2.