The Loggers

A previously forested area has been clear cut. Logs are being pulled to a wagon by a horse. The wagon has a three-horse hitch. A tripod hoist operated by one logger lifts the logs up to the wagon bed where another positions the logs. The wagon is held from moving by a stout stick jamming the wheel. Branches are stacked in piles throughout the area. The majestic horses are English-bred coach horses—Clydesdales from southern Scotland.

Wright Barker became well-known through his livestock paintings. His use of the initials RBA after his name suggests that he studied at the Royal British Academy, where he also exhibited from 1891-1938. He lived and worked in Ollerton/Newark on Trent, north of Nottingham. His most beloved paintings depict dogs, hunting scenes, horses, cattle in the highlands, and occasionally simple landscapes. The Loggers were probably observed by Barker in neighboring Lincolnshire, a region less densely populated and east of his home in Ollerton.