Artwork
The Basket Maker
The Basket Maker is an oil painting by the Hudson River School artist Louis Lang. It dates from 1853 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Lang painted this in 1853, when most American artists were still copying European styles.
A young woman sits on a tree stump, weaving a basket from long, golden straw. Sunlight filters through leaves above her, dappling her apron and the grass at her feet. A second woman leans against the tree, watching.
Lang painted this in 1853, when most American artists were still copying European styles. He chose instead to show quiet, everyday work, something rare in art at the time. The way he painted light and fabric gives the scene a soft, almost dreamy feel.
If you like this, look up other paintings of women from the same era.
Technique & Style
Louis Lang's The Basket Maker, executed in 1853, is an oil painting on canvas. The work functions as a genre scene depicting a woman, a girl, and a tree. Physically, the support measures 69.2 centimeters in height and 87 centimeters in width.
As an oil-on-canvas piece, the medium allows for the detailed rendering characteristic of mid-19th-century genre painting. The composition focuses on human figures within a natural setting, consistent with the artist's approach to everyday subjects during this period. The painting is currently held within the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is classified under the American Wing.
History & Provenance
The Basket Maker is an oil-on-canvas painting created by Louis Lang in 1853. The work depicts a scene featuring a woman, a girl, and a tree. It is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is classified within The American Wing.
While the specific commission details or a detailed chain of ownership prior to its arrival at the museum are not provided in the available records, the work's creation is firmly dated to 1853. The painting measures 69.2 cm in height and 87 cm in width. Its attribution to Lang and its date of inception are consistent across available documentation, establishing it as a mid-19th-century genre scene.
The Basket Maker is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is classified under The American Wing [1, 2]. The work is recorded in the museum's collection with the inventory number 25.77 [2]. No specific exhibition history is documented in the available sources.
Legacy
The Basket Maker, painted by Louis Lang in 1853, entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is displayed in The American Wing, a placement that signals its recognized standing among American genre paintings. Its oil‑on‑canvas format, large dimensions, and depiction of a girl, a woman, and a tree have been noted in cataloguing records, underscoring its continued scholarly attention. The work’s inclusion in a premier museum’s permanent display reflects its enduring reputation as an exemplar of mid‑nineteenth‑century American scene painting.
Overview
Louis Lang's 1853 oil on canvas, The Basket Maker, presents a tranquil genre scene. It depicts two women engaged in a rural activity, set against a backdrop of dappled sunlight filtering through trees. This work reflects a shift in American art towards portraying everyday life rather than solely adhering to European academic traditions prevalent at the time.
Subject & Meaning
The painting centers on a young woman diligently weaving a basket from straw while seated on a tree stump. Another woman observes her, leaning against the tree. This portrayal of ordinary labor and domestic life was a departure from the grand historical or mythological themes common in art during the mid-19th century, highlighting a growing interest in American daily existence.
Context
Created in 1853, The Basket Maker emerged during a period when American artists frequently emulated European artistic conventions. Lang's decision to depict a humble, everyday scene, rather than classical or historical subjects, was relatively uncommon. This choice signals a nascent interest among some American painters in establishing a distinct national artistic identity rooted in local subjects and contemporary life.
Artist & collection
