Winslow Homer

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Born in Boston, MA

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Taught to draw and paint by his mother, an amateur watercolorist

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Little formal training

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Worked as an apprentice to a lithographer  Disliked it greatly because he was just copying other people’s art

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Later, became an illustrator  At 21 yrs., joined Harper’s Weekly magazine

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During Civil War, sent to the front as an artistcorrespondent for Harper’s

The Army of the Potomac – A Sharp-Shooter on Picket Duty

Home, Sweet Home (c. 1863)

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His most famous painting from the Civil War – Prisoners from the Front

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Homer lived in and visited many places during his lifetime

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These places were represented in his work

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Here, a fisherman’s family awaits his return

Dad’s Coming (c. 1873)

Gloucester, Massachusetts • Homer became best known for his “Maritime Art” • He was wonderful at capturing the many moods of the sea; incorporating drama, suspense and danger

Breezing Up (A Fair Wind), 1873-1876

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Homer suddenly starting painting with watercolors in 1873.  It had just became a “respectable” medium in the mid-1860’s  Home liked that he could produce and sell them quickly, making more money

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Favorite subjects in both his oil and watercolors Solitary women, children, nature

The Sick Chicken (c. 1874)

• In his early work, Homer often painted rural scenes and farm life

The Milk Maid (c. 1878)

Fresh Eggs (c. 1874)

• Though he never married or had children of his own, Homer

loved painting them in outdoor settings

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Snap the Whip (1872) was one of his most famous works

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You will see one-room schoolhouses, like the one in this piece, in other Homer paintings

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In 1881-82, Homer spent 20 months in the fishing village of Cullercoats, England, on the North Sea

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He loved painting the women and children there.

Girl Carrying a Basket (1882)

Mending the Nets (1882) Sparrow Hall (c. 1881-2)

Incoming Tide (c. 1883)

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In 1883, Homer moved permanently to Prouts Neck, Maine

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He was a loner and enjoyed the isolation there  “Mind your own business” was his favorite phrase

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He loved showing the forces of nature and violent storms at sea

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Homer’s paintings often seem like they are telling a story – perhaps in part because of his background as a journalist

The Fog Warning (1885)

•Homer would visit tropical locations such as Bahamas, Florida, Cuba & Bermuda to escape harsh winters in Maine.

The Water Fan (c. 1898)

•Homer often left white parts of the canvas exposed to give a sense of the brilliant atmosphere

Salt Kettle, Bermuda (c. 1899)

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Independent, a loner who never married or had children

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Died in 1910 at his home in Prout’s Neck, Maine

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Ranked as one of the world’s finest watercolorists

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Considered one of the greatest American 19th Century artists

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Best known for his paintings of the sea & his ability to show its many moods

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Known for using the white of the paper for the lightest values “The Sun will not rise or set without my notice and thanks.” (Winslow Homer)