Fritz Wegner: Lammastide

Artist: Fritz Wegner
1924 -
Nationality: Austrian
Artwork Year: 1980
Image Size: 7 by 6 inches
Overall Size: 11.25 by 10 inches
Medium: Water Color on Hot Press Illustration Board

At summer's end, when the grain was ripened and the corn tall, the rural folk of England took to the fields for the harvest. Unlike today's farmers who work with modern machinery, the peasant farmers pitched in together with sickles to harvest the crops. Moving from field to field, they gathered the crops that were both their food and livelihood. Because their lives were bound so closely to the land they tilled, the peasants held a special reverence for the soil. As the years passed, this homage grew into an almost religious belief in the Harvest Spirit which dwelt in the fields they worked. At harvesttime, the men journeyed into the Spirit's domain, taking the crops which were her home. With each slice of the sickle, the Harvest Spirit was forced to retreat, finally to reside in the last standing stalk in the last field harvested. No man wanted to cut down this last stand of corn. So, when only one stalk remained, the reapers took turns throwing their sickles at its base. After many attempts, the stalk would at last fall and be taken back to the village. There it was fashioned into a woman's form, and clothed with whatever decorations the poor peasants could find. From a plain corn stalk, it was transformed into a Corn Dolly or Kern Baby which represented the revered Harvest Spirit at the festive supper table.

This painting was originally published on the Fleetwood® First Day Cover for the Great Britain 22p Lammastide stamp issued February 6, 1981.

Artwork Copyright © 1980 Unicover Corporation. All Rights Reserved under United States and international copyright laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, transmit, or otherwise exploit the Artwork in any way. Images of the Artwork may be watermarked and/or digitally watermarked. Any sale of the physical original does not include or convey the Copyright or any right comprised in the copyright.

Our Stock Number (SKU): XB06794

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