The artwork titled “The Manure Pile” was created by Carl Larsson in 1906 in Sweden. It belongs to the Art Nouveau (Modern) movement and is classified as a genre painting.
The artwork depicts a rural scene where two men are engaged in the laborious task of turning a manure pile. One man stands atop a crate, holding a wooden pitchfork as though preparing to distribute the hay or manure, while the other man is bent over, working within the pile itself. The setting appears to be a farmyard, indicated by the red wooden buildings with slanted roofs surrounding the workers. Chickens and roosters are scattered around the scene, adding to the rustic atmosphere. The meticulous detail and composition reflect everyday life in a rural environment, capturing the essence of labor and simplicity commonly associated with genre paintings. The warm, earthy tones and animated depiction of roosters contribute to the vivid portrayal of this bucolic lifestyle.
