Born in Boston, MA Taught to draw and paint by his mother, an amateur watercolorist Little formal training

Worked as an apprentice to a lithographer  Disliked it greatly because he was just copying other people’s art Later, became an illustrator  At 21 yrs., joined Harper’s Weekly magazine

During Civil War, sent to the front as an artist- correspondent for Harper’s The Army of the Potomac – A Sharp-Shooter on Picket Duty Home, Sweet Home (c. 1863)

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

Homer lived in and visited many places during his lifetime These places were represented in his work Here, a fisherman’s family awaits his return Dad’s Coming (c. 1873)

Breezing Up (A Fair Wind), 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

Homer suddenly starting painting with watercolors in  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 Favorite subjects in both his oil and watercolors  Solitary women, children, nature The Sick Chicken (c. 1874)

The Milk Maid (c. 1878) Fresh Eggs (c. 1874) In his early work, Homer often painted rural scenes and farm life

Though he never married or had children of his own, Homer loved painting them in outdoor settings

Snap the Whip (1872) was one of his most famous works You will see one-room schoolhouses, like the one in this piece, in other Homer paintings

In , Homer spent 20 months in the fishing village of Cullercoats, England, on the North Sea He loved painting the women and children there. Sparrow Hall (c ) Girl Carrying a Basket (1882) Mending the Nets (1882)

In 1883, Homer moved permanently to Prouts Neck, Maine He was a loner and enjoyed the isolation there  “Mind your own business” was his favorite phrase He loved showing the forces of nature and violent storms at sea Incoming Tide (c. 1883)

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)

The Water Fan (c. 1898) Homer would visit tropical locations such as Bahamas, Florida, Cuba & Bermuda to escape harsh winters in Maine.

Salt Kettle, Bermuda (c. 1899) Homer often left white parts of the canvas exposed to give a sense of the brilliant atmosphere

Independent, a loner who never married or had children Died in 1910 at his home in Prout’s Neck, Maine Ranked as one of the world’s finest watercolorists Considered one of the greatest American 19 th Century artists Best known for his paintings of the sea & his ability to show its many moods 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)