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George Stubbs Reapers In his experiments with the unusual technique of enamel on ceramic, Stubbs hoped to make paintings for the ages, as durable as stone. They were part of a close collaboration with the famous master potter Josiah Wedgwood, who would jokingly refer to himself as Stubbs's "canvas maker." This scene of wheat harvesting shows the artist's distinctive taste for the orderly, relief-like composition. It suggests the high, dignified view of labor, with an emphasis on good management and productivity rather than sweat and backache. The presence of the church in the background brings to mind the Christian associations of the harvest and the old saying "laborare orare est" (to work is to pray). |