Peasants in the Fields: Hay Harvest

Two figures are shown working hard to ensure that the annual hay harvest is completed. Moody clouds in the distance suggest that rain is coming, so there is only a small window of opportunity before time runs out.  

Wouwerman has created an unconventional landscape, the composition is upright and over half the picture is dominated by sky rather than land. The artist specialised in images of the countryside, depicting moments of everyday life. The white horse is a motif that frequently appears in his works.