This farm scene of two men bargaining for a calf was among the sixty-four paintings shown when Frederick Layton’s “beautiful art temple” opened on April 5, 1888. The image likely resonated with Milwaukeeans who were familiar with meatpacking and understood its connections to Layton’s wealth. Here the livestock business is presented in an idealized manner and not as a massive industry.
Alfred Cornelius Howland (American, 1838–1909) Driving a Bargain (Bargaining for a Calf), 1879
Oil on canvas
18 1/8 × 24 1/2 in. (46.04 × 62.23 cm)
Layton Art Collection Inc., Gift of Frederick Layton
L1888.16
