Old Mill (The Morning Bell)

The painting Old Mill (The Morning Bell), an oil on canvas created by Winslow Homer in 1871, is currently held at the Yale University Art Gallery. The artwork measures 0.968 meters in width and 0.61 meters in height.

The painting depicts a serene rural scene dominated by a large, somber-toned wooden mill building that fills the left half of the canvas. A sturdy wooden walkway extends from the mill towards the right, leading to a group of three women clad in dark dresses and bonnets. One woman, slightly ahead of the others, stands out in a vibrant red dress and a straw hat, her back to the viewer as she walks towards the mill. A black and white dog perches on the railing of the walkway near the mill.

The scene is bathed in soft, diffused light, suggesting either early morning or late afternoon. A towering tree with lush green foliage partially obscures the mill, its branches reaching towards the right side of the composition. The background reveals a dense forest, its dark greens contrasting with the lighter sky above. A small wooden house peeks out from the trees in the distance, hinting at life beyond the mill. The overall atmosphere is one of quietude and rural simplicity.