3-016-191 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Gathering seaweed, 1860s-1880s. Gathering Seaweed is a coastal landscape displaying the collaboration between people and animals. Farm animals, especially horses, were acknowledged as helpers in the development of civilisation and modernity. Though the horse in this work is not actively helping in gathering the seaweed, its participation is implied by the big cart to the left, which it will surely have to pull later on. It is also a very atmospheric landscape: two thirds of the composition consist entirely of sky and clouds, and the cold, windy condition is indicated through the horse’s mane and blanket being blown to the side.