This painting graphically portrays an active barn fire which occurred in the presence of several dozen witnesses including the family that operated the farm. The fire occurred in 1940 and the painting was completed shortly thereafter by the artist, Waldo Peirce, who was also present and witnessed the tragedy.

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The painting was hung in a nearby museum within in a decade of the event and yet no one in the family ever came to see it.

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Questions for reflection:

Why do you think the family who lost so much in this terrible fire never wanted to see the painting that memorialized the event?

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What do you think inspired the artist to paint such a terrible event and why was the artists response different than that of the family's response?