Date unknown

A Pennsylvania Farm

American, 1859 - 1938

William Lathrop was considered one of the first Pennsylvania Impressionists, although his intimate, poetic compositions were less influential among younger artists than the monumental paintings of Daniel Garber or Edward Redfield. Often called the “dean” of the New Hope art colony, Lathrop regularly welcomed students into his home at Phillips Mill. His preference for working in the studio, rather than outdoors, distinguished him from other artists in the group. Known primarily as a tonalist, Lathrop created rustic, simplified landscapes with a muted palette. In A Pennsylvania Farm, he shows remarkable sensitivity in painting raw earth, likely drawing from his own experience as a struggling farmer.