The Life and Art of
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Farmyard Scene
Samuel L. Gerry (1813–91)
Signed and dated, lower right: “S. L. Gerry, 1839”
Oil on canvas (22 1/4 x 24 1/2 in.)
Courtesy of the Fenimore Art Museum, Cooperstown, New York, gift of Stephen C. Clark
N0401.1961
Ornamental painters needed to be fluent in many branches of art. Sales records and works surviving from the late 1830s show that Gerry and Burt were practiced at painting everything from landscapes to portraits, and from still life to genre paintings. Although their partnership provided much-needed funds, both men also worked independently during this period, developing their skills and building their reputations as artists. In this early painting, Gerry demonstrates his interest in pastoral scenery, which often included farm animals. It was a genre of painting he would return to throughout his life.
