Breezing up By Olympia Nakos

Description Winslow Homer uses many realistic techniques to portray this scene of a Massachusetts shore. Most of the colors are cold and there are basically no shades that are bright or exiting, creating a peaceful scene. He uses many different values to form the piece and also leaves no space unfilled or boring. Homer uses a lot a of varying textures for the water and also the clouds to gives them more of a lively and realistic feel.

Analysis The obvious emphasis of this painting is the boat because it is larger in proportion to every other object in the composition. There is almost no repetition but there is still harmony because the water and other things share similar cool colors. This artwork is asymmetrical because the boat and sail are covering and falling off of one side while the other side is left empty other than a small sailboat and some backround.

Interpretation I think that Winslow Homer was trying to just show a kind of peace in a place that you might not often find it. He does this by having the three boys and the man in the boat seem laid-back and unaffected by the semi-rough water, showing that you can find peace even in rocky and unpredictable situations.

Judgment Overall, I think that this painting is very unique and well constructed. Even though it is depicting a not very exiting scene, Winslow Homer succeeds in making it have just the right balance of care-free so that is not empty and generic in a normally serious place like the open ocean. The prominent presence of cold colors also gives makes the painting easy on the eyes and adds to the laid-back feeling of this amazing piece.