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The Cornell Farm by Hicks, Edward

Hicks, Edward · 1848

Edward Hicks completed *The Cornell Farm* in 1848, an oil on canvas landscape now held at the National Gallery of Art. This painting is a tribute to the agricultural success of James C. Cornell's farm in Pennsylvania, capturing an "Indian summer view."

At 68 years old, Hicks, a lifelong resident of this farming region, meticulously rendered the property. Look for the inscription along the bottom, which proudly notes that Cornell's stock received a premium from the agricultural society in October 1848.

Hicks was a devout Quaker who often revisited themes of rural harmony and an ordered world in his art. This work, one of over sixty versions he painted of this subject, reflects his deep connection to the land and its community.

It’s a quiet celebration of hard work and prosperity, seen through the eyes of a painter who loved his home.

Details

Look closely at the bottom, an inscription tells the story.
Look closely at the bottom, an inscription tells the story.
This farm won a premium for its livestock and crops in 1848.
This farm won a premium for its livestock and crops in 1848.
His quiet paintings of rural harmony became his legacy.
His quiet paintings of rural harmony became his legacy.
Its pristine white coat and central placement suggest purity, importance, or perhaps a prize animal.
Its pristine white coat and central placement suggest purity, importance, or perhaps a prize animal.
Transcript

This painter was 68 years old when he created this scene. He lived his whole life in this farming town. Look closely at the bottom, an inscription tells the story. This farm won a premium for its livestock and crops in 1848. The community's daily labor is everywhere you look. His quiet paintings of rural harmony became his legacy.