Oil on canvas, signed by the artist, 1913 This 1913 antique oil on canvas captures Gustav Vermehren’s deep respect for the noble simplicity of the lives of working people. The green grass and rich foliage indicate summer; the peasant pushing a wheelbarrow appears to finish a long day’s work in the late Scandinavian twilight. The focal point of the painting is the illuminated window of the man’s cottage. It is intimate and inviting, perhaps a metaphor for the glow of home and family life to which he returns. A native of Copenhagen, Gustav Vermehren (1863-1931) was the son of noted painter Frederik Vermehren. Gustav worked in the academic tradition of Germany, Holland and northern European, favoring a more Realist and classical approach to painting than the Impressionistic trends so fashionable at the time. His paintings focus on the working class, and unfold in humble interiors and serene rural settings. With a Romantic artistic vision, Vermehren’s paintings sensitively portray the dignity of ordinary person. A beautiful painting for the collector. Measurements: With frame: 20-9/16” x 24-3/16” Canvas itself: 15-1/4” x 18-7/8”