The Harvesters
The Met
Artist: Pieter Bruegel the Elder(Netherlandish, Breda (?) ca. 1525–1569 Brussels)
Date: 1565
Department: European Paintings
Classification: Paintings
Medium: Oil on wood
Dimensions: Overall, including added strips at top, bottom, and right, 46 7/8 x 63 3/4 in. (119 x 162 cm); original painted surface 45 7/8 x 62 7/8 in. (116.5 x 159.5 cm)
Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1919
Visual Descriptions
AI GeneratedVisual Summary
Brief Description
Landscape with figures harvesting wheat, resting under a tree, a distant village and bay
Detailed Description
A wide landscape depicts a harvest scene under a pale, hazy sky. The top third shows a light blue-grey sky, beneath which a distant body of water with several small ships is visible. Rolling green hills and a village with scattered buildings and trees stretch across the horizon. The middle and foreground are dominated by a vast, golden wheat field. On the left side, several figures are actively engaged in harvesting. Three figures in the lower-left are cutting wheat with scythes, creating a cleared path through the tall stalks. Further back, more small figures are seen working in the field. A prominent, dark-trunked tree with green foliage stands centrally on the right side of the composition, casting a shadow. Underneath this tree, a group of approximately ten people are gathered, some sitting, some lying down, appearing to be resting and eating. One figure in a white shirt and grey trousers lies stretched out on their back, seemingly asleep. Others are seated around a white cloth, sharing food from bowls and baskets. To the right of the resting group, harvested wheat is piled into numerous conical stacks across a cleared, lighter brown field. More figures are seen working among these stacks. A path winds uphill behind the resting group, leading towards more fields and trees. The color palette is dominated by golden yellows of the wheat, various greens of the trees and distant hills, pale blue-grey of the sky and distant water, and earthy browns for paths and ground. Figures wear simple clothing in white, blue, red, and brown tones.
Generated by gemini-2.5-flash
