Frederick McCubin – The Morning Train, 1887 Sotheby’s

The canvas presents a rural scene dominated by a sense of burgeoning activity and nascent modernity. Here we observe a landscape characterized by expansive fields of tall grass, punctuated by scattered trees with thick trunks and dense foliage. The color palette is predominantly earthy – ochres, browns, and greens – with touches of pale blue in the sky suggesting an early morning hour.
A significant element within the composition is the presence of a train emerging from behind a cluster of trees on the right side of the frame. The locomotive emits a plume of white smoke that rises into the atmosphere, visually disrupting the otherwise tranquil scene and signaling the intrusion of industrial progress upon a pastoral setting. A small herd of cattle stands near the fence line, seemingly unperturbed by this mechanical arrival.
The artist’s brushwork is loose and impressionistic; details are suggested rather than meticulously rendered. This technique contributes to an overall feeling of immediacy and captures the fleeting quality of light and atmosphere. The foreground is painted with a greater degree of detail, drawing the viewers eye into the scene, while the background elements – the distant hills and sky – are treated more sketchily, creating a sense of depth and distance.
Subtly embedded within this depiction are themes of transition and change. The juxtaposition of the natural world – represented by the fields, trees, and animals – with the mechanical intrusion of the train suggests a shift in societal values and priorities. It is not presented as a destructive force, but rather as an inevitable element of progress, quietly altering the landscape and the rhythms of rural life. The cattle’s apparent indifference to the train could be interpreted as either acceptance or resignation towards this new reality.
The compositions arrangement – the placement of the trees framing the scene and directing attention toward the train – creates a sense of narrative tension. It implies a story unfolding, one where the traditional rural existence is gradually being reshaped by the forces of industrialization.