Rustic Prints 1

I am a sucker for rustic prints. They remind me of my youth on a farm in Indiana. They often tell stories.

In the one I am featuring here, the season is autumn. The colors make me think it is late afternoon. Many of the trees have lost their leaves. A pile of straw could provide bedding or maybe shelter for a cow or two out of view. Tracks in the gravel road could imply dust but more likely suggest that rain has recently dampened the surface. A two-wheel cart has been abandoned, as if inclement weather might have interrupted a chore.

Framed Rustic Print of Barn and Cart in Late Autumn

The stream is so narrow that it may form only during wet seasons. I suspect that the water is fairly cold. I am unable to determine whether another house might have stood—or be standing off to the right—near the barn and shed or whether the resident of the house down the road keeps the barn and outbuilding. The distance between the barn and the house is somewhat greater than is customary.

The scene could be depressing. As there are no human beings to be seen, the viewer cannot safely conclude that a happy family lives in the house. As there are no farm animals visible, the viewer cannot confidently decide that the farm is generating a good income. As the fall of the year is advancing, the viewer senses that a bitter winter could lie ahead.

Three elements contradict despair. First, the cheerful shades of green, orange, and yellow lend the scene an aura of enchantment. Next, the cart and the straw imply only a temporary halt in what is otherwise an active farm. Finally—and most importantly—a wisp of smoke curls above the chimney of the house. Even though the air has an autumnal chill, whoever lives in the house is enjoying a warm fire! As I burn wood throughout the cold months, I can attest that a wood fire warms my bones better than any other form of heat. Ultimately, the picture implies comfort: a respite from labor or a rest from the work of the hot summer months.

After studying the picture, I love it all the more. Even though I have invested much of my lifetime in examining fine art, I do not scorn the illustrators who, two or three generations ago, produced popular prints such as this one; in fact, I appreciate their artistic endeavors. Perhaps such scenes appeal to the illustrator in me, but I think it is more likely that they capture places that are generally familiar to me. I do not think that the scene in this print is intended to be nostalgic; there are too many contradictory details, several of which could be read as discouraging or even melancholy. To me, the print is faithful to a past reality and evocative of a way of life deeply imprinted on my psyche.