Ploughing the Furrow

This is one of several works depicting agricultural scenes on the continent that Beavis executed while he lived in Boulogne. It is likely that the inspiration for the painting came from a visit to Holland between 1867 and 1868, as the costume of the ploughman appears to be Dutch. The influence of Millet and the Barbizon painters is clearly evident, while other works painted in Northern France such as Bay of Cancale, Brittany and Drawing Timber in Picardy show a similar feeling for landscape. Ploughing scenes by Beavis were exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1871 and 1885.