Artwork
On the Old Sod
On the Old Sod is an oil painting by the American Impressionist artist William Magrath. It dates from 1879 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
No condition notes, provenance details, or further technical or stylistic commentary are documented in the available sources.
On the Old Sod is executed in oil paint on canvas, a standard medium for late nineteenth-century genre painting. The canvas support measures 97.5 cm in height by 71.1 cm in width, yielding a vertical, modestly scaled format suited to an intimate pastoral subject. The work is classified within The American Wing and categorized as a genre scene depicting a man with sheep, a duck, and a smoking motif, suggesting a tightly composed rural vignette rendered with the descriptive naturalism typical of Magrath's 1879 production. No condition notes, provenance details, or further technical or stylistic commentary are documented in the available sources.
History & Provenance
On the Old Sod is an 1879 oil on canvas painting by William Magrath, measuring 97.5 cm × 71.1 cm. The work depicts a duck, a man, a sheep and a smoking figure, and it is classified as a genre scene within The American Wing. It entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains on view. Its creation history is documented by the 1879 date and medium, and its dimensions are recorded as 97.5 cm by 71.1 cm.
On the Old Sod (1879) is an oil on canvas genre scene portraying a duck, a man, a sheep and a figure engaged in smoking. The painting is housed in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it is classified within The American Wing. Its physical dimensions measure 97.5 cm in height by 71.1 cm in width.
The work’s accession number is not recorded in the consulted references, and no exhibition history is documented in the available sources.
Overview
William Magrath's "On the Old Sod," an oil on canvas from 1879, presents a quiet genre scene. The artwork captures a moment of rural tranquility, featuring a man observing grazing sheep while ducks move about nearby. This piece, housed in the American Wing, reflects a late 19th-century artistic interest in depicting the unassuming, everyday aspects of country life with a sense of calm observation.
Subject & Meaning
The painting centers on a man, dressed in a dark coat, who leans against a fence, his gaze directed towards a flock of sheep peacefully grazing in the field. Ducks waddle in the foreground, near a smoking pipe placed on the ground. This pipe is not merely a prop; it represents a common agricultural practice of the time, where smoke was used as a deterrent for insects affecting livestock, underscoring the scene's authenticity.
Context
Magrath's upbringing on a farm contributed to the lived-in quality of "On the Old Sod," imbuing the scene with a genuine understanding of rural existence rather than a staged portrayal. Created in the years following the Civil War, the painting resonates with a broader artistic inclination to capture the serene, often overlooked moments of American country life, offering a contemplative view of a changing nation.
Artist & collection
