The perspective McNicoll adopts in The Little Worker is surprisingly modern: the viewer, situated at the bottom of the hill, looks up at the girl as the landscape rises sharply, creating a relatively shallow sense of space in which both the viewer and the girl are immersed. We can almost feel the warmth of the sun, smell the scent of the hay, and hear the rustle of the pasture. McNicoll’s formal choices also give us a sense of the girl’s hard work, reminding us of the distance she has travelled and the uphill trek she faces after her chores.