The name 'Saturnino' means "of Saturn" or "belonging to Saturn" and its etymological roots can be traced back to the Latin word 'Saturnus' linked to the Roman god of agriculture, harvest and time. Saturnino Herran's lifespan was a short one, as he passed away just at the age of 31, yet he left behind, a significantly large body of works. Born in Aguascalientes, Mexico, Saturnino showed signs of his artistic genius early on in his life and received basic training in Aguascalientes. After his father's demise, Saturnino and his mother shifted to Mexico City, where, he enrolled into the prestigious San Carlos academy. At the academy, Herran studied under various influential practitioners, the likes of which impacted his development to a great extent, Antonio Fabres helped Saturnino to strengthen his command over drawing and academic realistic fundamentals. German Gedovius' input encouraged Saturnino to adopt a more modern and expressive approach. By early 20th century, Herran started to move away from academic subjects and started to explore the Mexican everyday life, agriculture and the indigenous people. The Harvest, comparatively is an early work in Herran's corpus and was completed during the end of his formal education at San Carlos academy. The composition is occupied by farmers or agricultural workers along with a pair of oxen pulling a cart. Among the agricultural paraphernalia, are bundles of green maize stalks and crops residues being carried by the workers, a woman holding a small child is presented as well. In traditional academic painting, portraying an easily identifiable subject was considered more important than establishing a direct narrative, hence Herran keeps the subject simple and refrains from engaging in a complex visual storytelling. The spatial space is organised horizontally in order to create a panoramic sense to the composition focusing on the expansive nature of agricultural landscape. The countryside ambience is fostered through the use of warm earth tones, Herran's treatment of light is quite impressive in this aspect. Vigorous brushwork is visible through the rendering of the paint and the textures it is exhibiting. Herran's career evolved into an example of early sophisticated Mexican modernism, the sensuality and highly refined drawing he produced, makes many scholars and enthusiasts regard him as an important precursor of Mexican muralism.
The Harvest was painted in 1909 and is an example of Herrán’s early work, when he was completing his training at Mexico’s National School of Fine Arts. The work bears the influence of his teacher, Germán Gedovius, and especially his focus on colour and composition. It also reflects the influence of the Belgian artist Frank Brangwyn, whose work Herrán and Diego Rivera studied through reproductions that were available at the school. An important aspect of the artwork is the depiction of the woman holding her child. It stands in contrast to the hard, strenuous life of the cultivator. The depiction of the woman with the child reflects the relationship between agricultural labour and domestic life. The painting is also of great significance when considering Mexican cultural identity. Herrán frequently turned his gaze to common and indigenous Mexicans and to rural life. So the agricultural worker is an important topic and not just a figure in the background. The harvest can be read as an expression of the close relationship between Mexican identity and land.
