Nathaniel Currier and James Merritt Ives’ lithographs The Pic-Nic Party and The Childrens Pic-Nic are picnics without food or drink.
In The Pic-Nic Party, the central figure is a woman on a swing pushed by a young man, probably her beau. Just in front of her is a courting couple. In the background on the right, a man plays the violin for two dancing couples. Next to a tree on the left, a couple of spoons, a child waves a net at a butterfly. A mother and father sit by a tree on the right with their son and daughter. The look on their faces is one of satisfaction.
The Childrens Pic-Nic depicts cheerful children at play unsupervised in a safe pastoral setting. The setting is rural, perhaps a park. Clothing is everyday formal, a suitable style for the middle class at leisure and having fun.
Featured Image: The Pic-Nic Party