Crossing the Pasture
Object Description
Homer initially earned his living as a Civil War correspondent, sending sketches of military life to editors in New York for reproduction in illustrated periodicals. After the war, he created paintings that explored the lingering aftereffects of the conflict, speaking to many Americans’ hopes and anxieties about the future of the nation.
In Crossing the Pasture, Homer addresses the war indirectly through a sentimental scene of rural childhood. Two boys stand in a sunlit field, sharing the weight of a metal bucket. A stick slung over his shoulder, the eldest positions himself protectively between his barefoot younger sibling and a bull standing near a stone wall. Portraying shared labor and brotherly protection, Homer’s picture offers a tender image of sibling unity in the wake of a divisive war that pitted many family members against one another.
—Text taken from the Carter Handbook (2023)
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Teacher Resources
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How might environment affect the way in which someone grows up?
How has childhood (and the place of childhood in the national imagination) changed throughout American history?
How might an artist communicate mood in a painting?
How might art help people to process difficult personal or cultural moments?
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Grades Pre-K–1
Students will create a country scene on a card using green color sticks and texture plates. First, have students create a textured field on their paper. After they have the ground, they can use colored pencils to add details like an animal, other plants, or maybe a group of people completing a task.
Grades 4–12
Students will practice writing inspired by this work of art. Students should imagine that the subjects of the artwork stepped out of the painting into our world today. Students can write about what they would say to the subjects in the artwork.