Winslow Homer (February 24, 1836 – September 29, 1910)

Early Life and Art Homer was born in Boston, Massachusetts in After his high school graduation Homer was the apprentice of J. H. Bufford, a commercial lithographer which kick-started homers work in lithography. Homer's career as an illustrator lasted nearly twenty years. He contributed to magazines such as Ballou's Pictorial and Harper's Weekly at a time when the market for illustrations was growing rapidly and fads and fashions were changing quickly. His early works were mostly commercial engravings of urban and country social scenes. His quick success was mostly due to this strong understanding of graphic design and also to the adaptability of his designs to wood engraving.

Examples of Early Works

Civil War and Early Painting Career In 1859, he opened a studio in New York City, the artistic and publishing capital of the United States. Until 1863, he attended classes at the National Academy of Design, and studied briefly with Frédéric Rondel, who taught him the basics of painting. In only about a year of self-training, Homer was producing excellent oil work. During this time homer was sent to the front lines of the American Civil War to sketch scenes for Harper’s and though the drawings didn’t draw much attention at the time they developed Homer’s skills as a illustrator which would help his painting career. Throughout the rest of Homer’s painting career he painted a variety of subjects from Parisian life during a stay in Paris, to scenes of American landscapes and lifestyles.

Working with Action Homer was particularly known for his ability to capture images of action in his paintings. The examples below show Homer’s skill in capturing a specific moment.

Civil War Images

Oil Paintings (later works)

Watercolor (later works)

Images Examples of Early works – The Bathers, 1873 – A Sharp-Shooter on Picket Duty, 1862 Working with Action – Right and Left, 1909 – Long Branch, 1869 Civil War Images – The Civil War Surgeon At Work, 1862 – A Shell In the Rebel Trenches, 1863 – A Rainy Day in Camp, 1871 Oil Paintings – The Gulf Steam, 1899 – Boys in Pasture, 1874 – A Summer Night, 1890 – School Time, 1874 Watercolor – The Blue Boat, 1892 – Girl and Daisies, 1878 – Fishing, 1875 – Canoe in the Rapids, 1897