Harvest Time
the frontispice to
John Rector Barton's
Rural Artists of Wisconsin
(1948)

"Harvest Time," by Lois Ireland, is an illustrative painting that skillfully presents Wisconsin's rolling hills, cobalt skies, regional agriculture, and rustic barns. The scene is likely familiar to anyone who has traveled Wisconsin's pastoral byways and magnificently reflects the people, land and products of rural Wisconsin.

Ireland studied at the University of Wisconsin—Madison under American Regionalist artist and UW Artist–in–Residence, John Steuart Curry. As a young girl, she exhibited her work in art exhibitions sponsored by the Wisconsin Rural Art Project. Lois Ireland's "Harvest Time," as well as her other work, was shown as part of these exhibits.

"Harvest Time" is included in John Rector Barton's Rural Artists of Wisconsin, originally published to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the University of Wisconsin, in memory of John Steuart Curry. The book documents a series of art exhibits held during the 1940s at UW-Madison Memorial Union, organized by the Rural Art Committee to highlight non-professional rural artists throughout the state. In following the spirit of the "Wisconsin Idea," this project helped foster widespread interest in Wisconsin rural art and artists and encouraged art education and creative programs for many years to follow.

"Harvest Time" and the entire contents of Rural Artists of Wisconsin are available online as part of the Arts Collection. Rural Artists of Wisconsin is a University of Wisconsin Press publication.

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