John Henry Twachtman (1853-1902)
Barnyard c.1890-1900
oil on canvas, 30 1/4 x 25 1/8”
signed lower left

Home and family were precious to late 19th-century Americans, and artists often portrayed them. Twachtman’s little daughter is watched by her mother, whose brown dress links her to the earth, while lattice frames her like an icon in a niche. Doves recall the Holy Spirit, and splashes of bright light can be seen as the light of grace. The artist does not insist upon a religious reading but subtly suggests it.

Chickens and doves were considered as necessary to the commuter’s household as to the farmer’s. Caring for them was often the province of children, because poultry-keeping was seen as a character-building activity.