1860
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Thanksgiving Day, 1860 - The Two Great Classes of Society is a 1860 ink by American 19th Century, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This wood engraving shows six small scenes split into two groups. The top row contrasts two women: one lounging on a couch with a fan, the other reading by a window. Below, the left side has a wealthy family in fancy clothes, while the right side shows a poor family eating a meager meal. The center features a preacher in a pulpit, with a theater scene above him. The title calls it "The Two Great Classes of Society," pointing to a sharp divide between rich and poor. The artist used simple lines and shading to show the difference in their lives. Next, look up engraving to see how artists carved these detailed scenes into wood.
This artist painted everyday American life in the 1800s. Look at *Farmhouse in Mahantango Valley*—a quiet, sunlit scene of rural Pennsylvania. *Boy and Girl* shows two children standing close, their faces turned toward…
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![Thanksgiving Day - Ways and Means [upper left]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/4cbc9b31489cb052/thumb.webp)
