Winslow Homer

Winslow Homer (1836 – 1910)

Winslow Homer was one of the most influential American artists of the nineteenth century, portrayed the everyday life of his time with dignity and honesty. Living in an age well before the birth of television, Homer’s wood engravings for popular periodicals served as a chronicle of American pastimes and the news of a rapidly changing world. After a two-year apprenticeship at Bufford Lithographers, Homer moved to Boston, arriving at a time when the illustrated weekly was emerging on the scene. At the outset of the Civil War, he became a full-time picture correspondent for Harper’s Weekly, traveling with the Union army and witnessing the war’s grave realities first-hand. In 1875 Homer left the secure and lucrative profession of wood engraving to fully devote his time to painting. He traveled extensively in the Adirondack mountains, painting camping scenes and rural life. His travels ultimately widened to England and France where his work took on a more romantic and symbolic tone. During the latter part of his life, Homer enjoyed a solitary lifestyle near Scarboro, painting the sea and Maine coast and solidifying his reputation as one of the greatest American artists of his time.

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