The Ferry

Wheatley’s peaceful view of a landscape in England’s mountainous Lake District presents an idealized conception of late 18th-century rural life. A well-tended home sits on the hill above the lake, while a pair of cattle drink from its waters. On the ferry, ready to cross the lake, is a group of agricultural laborers holding various objects typical of their work, including a basket, a bucket, a cask, a pitchfork, and a pole.