Thomas Armstrong - The Hay Field [1869]

Thomas Armstrong - The Hay Field [1869], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

Three women stand in a garden flanked on either side by haystacks. In the background are a series of trees and two buildings - what appears to be a red-brick house standing behind a smaller white out-building. A full moon appears over the trees. The woman to the left wears a white dress with decorative, dusky pink, circular motifs. She holds a baby in her arms. The baby wears a white robe with pink ribbon at the waist, it wears shoes of the same shade of pink, one of which lies on the floor by the hem of the woman's dress. The other two women stand together to the right of the image - the one to the left stands with her back to the viewer and wears a plain white dress with a peach coloured shawl, the one to the right wears a dusky pink dress. Both these women hold a rake in their hands. An iron gate, painted blue, occurs at the right edge of the canvas, as does a medieval-style settle with what looks like a cloak draped across it. The white building has ivy cascading down from its top and a row of purple foxgloves at its base.

[Victoria & Albert Museum, London - Oil on canvas, 44.75 x 61.875 cm]