Gathering Lilies

Eastman Johnson

National Gallery of Art

This is a painting of a woman reaching to pick a water lily from a pond. She is crouching atop a fallen log, leaning over to submerge her right hand in the water. She wears a long gray dress with a striped, brown cloth in the front like an apron, with a white cloth tied around her neck. She has pale skin and dark brown hair tied in an updo. As her face is pointed downward towards the water, her facial features are mostly obscured. In her left hand, she holds a cluster of other water lilies. The water surrounding the log is speckled with lily pads, more white lilies, and tall reeds. The water is mostly brown, with the reflection of the woman and the reflection of a blue sky at the bottom of the painting, although we can't see the sky itself. In the background, dark green plants and foliage surround the edge of the pond.