Artwork
Going Home
Going Home is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Fritz von Uhde. It dates from 1895 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The basket functions as an iconographic marker of domestic and agricultural labor, signaling the conclusion of those tasks through the act of going home.
Going Home by Fritz von Uhde presents a rural scene depicting a woman and a girl on a farm, with a basket visible among the figures. The painting's subject is rooted in everyday peasant life, a recurring focus of Uhde's late nineteenth-century work, and the title frames the figures as laborers or family members returning at the end of a working day. The basket functions as an iconographic marker of domestic and agricultural labor, signaling the conclusion of those tasks through the act of going home.
Together, the farm setting, the intergenerational pairing of woman and girl, and the basket convey a sympathetic, naturalistic vision of country life, emphasizing themes of work, family continuity, and the dignity of ordinary rural existence.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1895, Going Home is painted in oil on panel, a medium Uhde favored for its luminous surface and precise detail. The handling is restrained yet descriptive, with smooth blending in the figures and looser, visible brushwork animating the rustic setting. Stylistically, the work aligns with Uhde's late-nineteenth-century realism, emphasizing quiet narrative through subdued color and unidealized figures.
The composition balances a foregrounded girl with a basket against a softly modeled landscape, while the subdued palette heightens the work's intimate, contemplative mood.
History & Provenance
Fritz von Uhde created the oil painting Going Home in 1895. Executed on a panel support, the work measures 78.4 cm in height and 99.7 cm in width. The painting depicts a rural scene featuring a farm, a woman, a girl, and a basket.
Currently, the artwork is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The provided records do not specify the original commission details or the full chain of ownership prior to its acquisition by the museum.
Overview
Fritz von Uhde, a German painter, created Going Home in 1895. This oil painting captures a quiet, everyday moment in a rural setting, depicting a woman and a child returning along a path. The work exemplifies Uhde's position at the intersection of Realism and Impressionism, a period when artists sought to render ordinary life with both observational accuracy and atmospheric nuance. It is part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection.
Context
Fritz von Uhde played a significant role in German art during the late 19th century, bridging the gap between the detailed rendering of Realism and the light-focused effects of Impressionism. He was instrumental in popularizing plein-air painting in Germany, moving artists out of the studio to capture the direct experience of nature. His work often explored genre scenes and religious subjects, imbuing them with a contemporary, naturalistic sensibility that resonated with the changing artistic landscape.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Fritz von Uhde (born Friedrich Hermann Carl Uhde; 22 May 1848 – 25 February 1911) was a German painter of genre and religious subjects.
