3-098-588 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Defending the hut, 1895. Alternative title: The Defence of the Hut, or, Hiding the Treasure. The scene is the interior of a delapidated hut or stable, with farmers or peasants, rifles in hand, standing guard. From the cracks and gaps of the wooden structure, they observe what is happening outside. Their faces are gaunt and weathered, and their bodies lean but strong, shaped by a life of work and scarcity. The intense sunlight that penetrates the many cracks and under the door of the rustic building is so strong that it illuminates the interior, sharpening the contrast between the two realities. The inspiration for the painting may have been the drought that ravaged Valencia between 1875 and 1879, and led to strikes against landowners due to the difficulties in paying rent. However, there is a third peasant who isn't wielding any weapon, but is moving or digging the earth with a hoe. The subtitle adds a layer of uncertainty about the main motivation for the defence: we could be looking at men keeping watch while their companion hides something.