Labourers

George Stubbs

1789

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Romanticism 18th Century

About this work

This scene shows four men working with a big wooden cart pulled by two horses. One man sits up front, guiding the horses, while the others stand or crouch nearby, handling ropes or tools. A dog lies on the ground in the foreground, and the background is filled with tall trees under a partly cloudy sky. The artist used shading to make the figures and horses look solid and real. Notice how the light hits their faces and clothes, creating depth. Look up chiaroscuro to see how this lighting trick works.