American Art Collaborative

In Old Hook Mill, Easthampton, a spirit of ease pervades the scene as men unhurriedly carry sacks of flour from the mill to the horse-drawn wagon. The Hook Windmill was the last wind-powered grain mill, or gristmill, built in East Hampton, New York. Constructed in 1806, it operated for a century until 1908 and stands today. Edward Lamson Henry's painting presents the iconic structure in the calm after a storm, indicated by two rainbows in the cloud-stricken sky. Critics praised Henry's work for his romantic treatment of agrarian life.