The theme of peasant labour was one that excited many Russian artists, but no one until Myasoedov was able to render it in such an optimistic way and with the power of truth. The image of people united to upsurge in labour, the sunny summer day, the riotous blooming of nature and the expanse of Russian fields create an atmosphere of a rustic harvest. In Russian painting in the second half of the 19th century, "Harvest Time" is the most significant painting among works on this subject.