The artwork entitled “A Meeting of the School Trustees,” crafted by Robert Harris in 1885, is an oil painting on canvas measuring 102.2 x 126.5 cm. It belongs to the Realism movement and exemplifies the genre painting tradition. Currently, the piece is housed in the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, Canada.
The artwork depicts an intense and animated scene where a young woman appears to be addressing a group of four men who sit around a table in a modestly furnished room. The young woman, likely a teacher, stands resolutely, engaged in discussion or petitioning the men, assumed to be the school trustees. The setting is bathed in soft light, bringing a sense of authenticity and emotion to the scene. The expressions of the men vary from attentive to contemplative, emphasizing their roles in a serious deliberation. The meticulous attention to detail and the contrast between light and shadow exemplify the realistic style of Robert Harris, rendering the daily life and social dynamics of the period with vivid clarity.
