The artwork titled “Picking Cotton” by Hale Woodruff, created around 1926, is a notable piece within the Post-Impressionism art movement and falls under the genre painting category.
In this artwork, the artist vividly depicts the labor-intensive scene of individuals harvesting cotton in the fields. The foreground is dominated by three central figures, two of whom are bent over, diligently picking cotton, and another carrying a large basket of freshly picked cotton on his head. The cotton plants, rendered with thick, textural strokes, fill the expanse of the canvas, emphasizing the vastness of the fields and the labor required. The figures, dressed in earthy tones with hints of color, contrast starkly with the white cotton, drawing attention to their tireless work. In the background, additional workers can be seen amidst the rows of cotton, and the horizon is punctuated with structures, likely housing or storage related to the cotton industry. The sky above is painted with muted blues and grays, providing a somber yet striking backdrop to the scene. Woodruff’s use of color and composition captures both the physical toil and the expansive nature of agricultural labor in this poignant genre painting.
