This sense of immersion originated with the French Barbizon painters, who favoured realism in their landscape paintings, and reverses traditional landscape imagery that positions the viewer overlooking an uninterrupted vista. McNicoll’s luminous treatment of the sunny field in The Little Worker accentuates this sense of immersion. The field grasses appear to ripple in the breeze, and the bright yellow-green tones stimulate the viewer’s senses. We can almost feel the warmth of the sun, smell the scent of the hay, and hear the rustle of the pasture.

McNicoll’s formal choices also give us a sense of the girl’s hard work, reminding us of the distance she has travelled and the uphill trek she faces after her chores. The girl is fully dressed, with heavy shoes, and shown in full concentration on her task, oblivious to the viewer’s gaze.

This Spotlight is excerpted from Helen McNicoll: Life & Work by Samantha Burton.