742
Medicine
Surgeon Downloaded from www.ajronline.org by 178.131.61.14 on 11/06/15 from IP address 178.131.61.14. Copyright ARRS. For personal use only; all rights reserved
Stefan
in American
Art
at Work
SChatzki1
C.
Winslow
Homer,
together
who
with
Thomas
Eakins
was
one
of
their
families.
On
his
return,
1 882,
in November
he settled perma-
the most important American artists of the 1 9th century, was born on February 24, 1 836, in Boston. In 1859, after two years as an apprentice in a lithographic firm, Homer moved to New York and soon became a well-known illustrator. He had little formal training, attending night school at the National Academy of Design briefly in 1 861 and studying for about one month with the American painter Frederick Rondel. It is perhaps this absence of formal training and foreign influence that led to the unique “American” style of Homer’s
nently in Prout’s Neck, Maine. For the next 28 years, while continuing his studies of the American outdoors and recording his impression of trips to the tropics, Homer produced the marine paintings for which he is best known today. He explored the strengths, skills, and experiences of human interactions with the beauty, power, and danger of the sea. His palate frequently darkened as he painted dramatic, melancholy, and somber depictions of the drama and power of the Maine seashore. He died in Prout’s Neck on September 29,
mature
1910.
work
and
1 9th century
that
set
American
Homer’s
fame
began
Harper’s
Weekly
soldiers
in battle.
subject
of a recent
him
apart
from
virtually
all other
prominent
painters.
to
Homer
during
the
produce
Civil
War,
works
exhibition
and
he was
to illustrate
sketches
His extensive
when
of that
book.
have
though
been
there
of
today as an illustrator.
the
is some
ular.
covering The
that Homer ican
the
called
to
paint
illustrate
actual
insightful
genre
with
idiom.
demician two
produced
in oil.
Unlike
battle
scenes,
early of the
mician
Prang
“Campaign
genre
his
later.
extremely
in the
works late
in both 1 860s,
oil and he
watercolor,
would
still
be
but known
He continued to produce etchings until the of his life, and he never strayed from his strictly American the works
in America
but
ofthis
celebrated
throughout
American
the Western
artist
are honored
world.
pop-
were
behind
acclaim,
he was
Academy
at age
of
were during
elected
to
primarily
the lines,
paint
these
Homer
published
paintings
he would
the
a group
this period,
that
early
troops
that
During
sold
During
sketches
these ofthe
National
and
Sketches.”
subjects critical
years
became
Today
not only
ended
here
observations
the other Following
his illustrations
last decade
had
is an example of the illustrations to the readers of Harper’s Weekly. The Amer-
Louis
illustrations
that
reproduced
forwarded
publisher
began
war
engraving
career
memorable
if his
question as to how close to the battlefront Homer went to produce these sketches, his artistic ability was so far superior to the other artists
produced
by
the conduct
conflict
Even
hired
in keeping the
1 860s.
an associate
28, becoming
ace-
a full acade-
46 years, until his death on
next
29, 1 91 0, Homer produced an extraordinarily varied body of work that remains unique in the artistic history of our country. September
Homer’s
early
exclusively,
genre
publication
briefly
were
went
continuing
paintings limited
to France, genre
Adirondacks
and
in the
subjects.
work, Quebec.
1 860s
For example,
to his
croquet
and in the next began In the
to
visit
emphasized,
though
not
a recent
exhibition
and
paintings
of that
decade, and
mid i870s,
period.
in addition
create
paintings
He
to the of
a visit to Virginia
the
led to
a group of Black American studies. In 1881, Homer went to England for one year and devoted himself to documenting the hazardous life of the North Sea fishermen and
1
Department
AJR 158:742,
of Radiology, April
Mount
Auburn
1992 0361 -803X/92/1584-0742
Hospital,
Winslow Homer (1836-1910). Surgeon at Work at the Rear During an Engagement. Engraving, 9V2 X 14 in. (From Harper’s Weekly, July 12, 1862.) Private collection.
330 Mount
Auburn
St., Cambridge,
American
Roentgen
Ray Society
MA 02238.
Medicine
Surgeon Downloaded from www.ajronline.org by 178.131.61.14 on 11/06/15 from IP address 178.131.61.14. Copyright ARRS. For personal use only; all rights reserved
Stefan
in American
Art
at Work
SChatzki1
C.
Winslow
Homer,
together
who
with
Thomas
Eakins
was
one
of
their
families.
On
his
return,
1 882,
in November
he settled perma-
the most important American artists of the 1 9th century, was born on February 24, 1 836, in Boston. In 1859, after two years as an apprentice in a lithographic firm, Homer moved to New York and soon became a well-known illustrator. He had little formal training, attending night school at the National Academy of Design briefly in 1 861 and studying for about one month with the American painter Frederick Rondel. It is perhaps this absence of formal training and foreign influence that led to the unique “American” style of Homer’s
nently in Prout’s Neck, Maine. For the next 28 years, while continuing his studies of the American outdoors and recording his impression of trips to the tropics, Homer produced the marine paintings for which he is best known today. He explored the strengths, skills, and experiences of human interactions with the beauty, power, and danger of the sea. His palate frequently darkened as he painted dramatic, melancholy, and somber depictions of the drama and power of the Maine seashore. He died in Prout’s Neck on September 29,
mature
1910.
work
and
1 9th century
that
set
American
Homer’s
fame
began
Harper’s
Weekly
soldiers
in battle.
subject
of a recent
him
apart
from
virtually
all other
prominent
painters.
to
Homer
during
the
produce
Civil
War,
works
exhibition
and
he was
to illustrate
sketches
His extensive
when
of that
book.
have
though
been
there
of
today as an illustrator.
the
is some
ular.
covering The
that Homer ican
the
called
to
paint
illustrate
actual
insightful
genre
with
idiom.
demician two
produced
in oil.
Unlike
battle
scenes,
early of the
mician
Prang
“Campaign
genre
his
later.
extremely
in the
works late
in both 1 860s,
oil and he
watercolor,
would
still
be
but known
He continued to produce etchings until the of his life, and he never strayed from his strictly American the works
in America
but
ofthis
celebrated
throughout
American
the Western
artist
are honored
world.
pop-
were
behind
acclaim,
he was
Academy
at age
of
were during
elected
to
primarily
the lines,
paint
these
Homer
published
paintings
he would
the
a group
this period,
that
early
troops
that
During
sold
During
sketches
these ofthe
National
and
Sketches.”
subjects critical
years
became
Today
not only
ended
here
observations
the other Following
his illustrations
last decade
had
is an example of the illustrations to the readers of Harper’s Weekly. The Amer-
Louis
illustrations
that
reproduced
forwarded
publisher
began
war
engraving
career
memorable
if his
question as to how close to the battlefront Homer went to produce these sketches, his artistic ability was so far superior to the other artists
produced
by
the conduct
conflict
Even
hired
in keeping the
1 860s.
an associate
28, becoming
ace-
a full acade-
46 years, until his death on
next
29, 1 91 0, Homer produced an extraordinarily varied body of work that remains unique in the artistic history of our country. September
Homer’s
early
exclusively,
genre
publication
briefly
were
went
continuing
paintings limited
to France, genre
Adirondacks
and
in the
subjects.
work, Quebec.
1 860s
For example,
to his
croquet
and in the next began In the
to
visit
emphasized,
though
not
a recent
exhibition
and
paintings
of that
decade, and
mid i870s,
period.
in addition
create
paintings
He
to the of
a visit to Virginia
the
led to
a group of Black American studies. In 1881, Homer went to England for one year and devoted himself to documenting the hazardous life of the North Sea fishermen and
1
Department
AJR 158:742,
of Radiology, April
Mount
Auburn
1992 0361 -803X/92/1584-0742
Hospital,
Winslow Homer (1836-1910). Surgeon at Work at the Rear During an Engagement. Engraving, 9V2 X 14 in. (From Harper’s Weekly, July 12, 1862.) Private collection.
330 Mount
Auburn
St., Cambridge,
American
Roentgen
Ray Society
MA 02238.
