The series of sixteen sculptures, made between 1950 and 1957,[4] represent Smith's concern with farming in upper New York State where he lived.

[3] The sculpture has been described by curators at the National Gallery of Art as "making a direct reference" to Mercury as attributed to Adrian de Vries and "that this Mercury variation is not an isolated instance in Smith's career," referring to other works such as Circles, Wagons and Sentinels by Smith, which are all variations upon work by another artist.

[3][5] Deemed a "parody" by The Washington Post,[6] in the catalog of the National Gallery's 1982-1983 exhibition, "David Smith," Agricola is renamed "Mercury variant" for the duration of the publication.

"[7] The Independent stated that the Agricola series depicts "primitive figures seem on their way to work the land, but it is hard to tell where the farmers end and where their tools begin.

"[8] In a 1982 review of the National Gallery exhibition, The New York Times called the Agricola series "elegantly wrought" and as "giving everyday forms a metaphorical unity,"[9]