' The Veteran in a New Field ' Winslow Homer ( American 1836-1910 ) Oil on canvas circa 1865

" The Veteran in a New Field " was painted in the summer of 1865 , not long after Robert R Lee's surrender and the assassination of President Lincoln - both of which occurred during the second week of April - Homer's canvas shows an emblematic farmer who is a Union veteran , as signified by his discarded jacket and canteen at the lower right . The painting seems to blend several related narratives . Most soldiers had been farmers before the war . This man , who has returned to his field , holds an old fashioned scythe that evokes the Grim Reaper , recalls the wars harvest of death , and expresses grief at Lincolns murder . The redemptive feature is the bountiful wheat - a northern crop which could connote the Unions victory . With it's dual reference to death and life , Homer's iconic composition offers a powerful meditation to war and peace .