“October (The Pumpkins)” is a genre painting by Swedish artist Carl Larsson that is associated with the Art Nouveau movement, also known as Modern style. Created in October 1882, this artwork captures a quintessential autumn scene.
The painting depicts a woman in a garden during the harvest season. She is dressed in period-appropriate clothing—a long blue skirt, a lighter blue apron, and a white headscarf—suggesting the attire of a woman engaged in daily chores. She holds a large basket in her left arm and it seems she is collecting or has collected produce from the garden.
The garden itself is lush with green leaves and dotted with ripe orange pumpkins. In the background, we see a rustic farmhouse with a sloping roof, behind which additional homes or farm buildings can be glimpsed. The muted palette of earthy tones, along with the soft lighting, conveys the gentle warmth of an autumn day.
Larsson has paid considerable attention to the details of the garden—such as the plump pumpkins, the varying shades of green foliage, and the weathered garden tools leaning against a fence. The overall image is one of peacefulness and rural simplicity, with the quiet activity of the woman centered amidst the bounties of nature.
