Painting Description

This historic piece was painted as a commission and shows teams of horses powering the thrashing machine near London, Ontario. The man in the centre of the sweep was responsible to keep the horses moving in a steady, deliberate way. The small boy with the white shirt had a very sharp knife to cut the string from each bundle or sheaf. His job was boring but he would not “space out” as it was very dangerous for the man holding the sheaf if the boy were to slip.