The subject matter of this painting is a group of African American women who are working together picking peanuts. The use of contour lines helps outline the women’s bodies, and although their faces lack detail, there is a sharp profile of the women specifically. There are solid colors as well as patterns that help to guide our eye through this piece visually. Contrast is also present within this piece with warm colors such as yellow and red being placed against cool colors like the shades of green in the plants. These figures are stylized with some exaggerated proportions (larger bodies with smaller faces/heads) indicative of Hayes’ style. This piece has great rhythm with the many curved lines that can be found in the women’s clothing, the leaves of the peanut plants, and the baskets.
Despite the labor that is depicted, this painting reflects a sense of community and dignity. Hayes’ rich colors elicit warmth, praising and acknowledging the struggles and hardships that African Americans faced during this time. This piece is a celebration of the resilience and strength that Black communities embody, and in particular Black women’s sense of community, togetherness, shared labor, and perseverance. This painting highlights women performing assigned tasks in a communal process and an elegant, almost regal, state of repose contrasting with the menial nature of the women’s functions in farming and agricultural work. Although the women are depicted in this painting performing a daily task, with the basket of peanuts and peanuts plants displayed in the foreground, the clothing of the women in the middle ground leads the viewer’s eye in a circular motion to further explore through the use of color and pattern the rich and complex lives of African American women in southeastern North Carolina.
by UNCW Art History intern, Anna Van De Carr