O’Brien was that rare phenomenon in the nineteenth century, a Canadian-born artist. Of distinguished family, well educated and a graceful politician, O’Brien became the first president of the Royal Canadian Academy (1880-90). He was the art director of Picturesque Canada (published 1882), a popular, illustrated history/travelogue of Canada edited by George Grant, the principal of Queen’s University. O’Brien traveled to many parts of Canada to paint landscapes, including three trips to the Rocky Mountains by rail. He was the pre-eminent Canadian artist of his generation. Landscape with Hay Wagon is a late example of the artist’s work, at a time when he was experiencing a second flowering of his career. O’Brien’s work of this period is characterized by a somewhat brighter palette and a broader handling of paint than earlier work.