Winslow Homer

Photograph of Winslow Homer

Winslow Homer was born on February 24, 1836, in Boston, Massachusetts as the second of three children to Henrieta Benson and Charles Homer. At the age of 6, his family moved to Cambridge and was encouraged by his mother to do art. At 19, his first artistic education was working as an apprentice of the lithographer John Buffard where he would copy drawings of other artists. His drawings would eventually land Homer to work for a newspaper called Harper’s Weekly in New York in 1859 as editor and illustrator. During this time, he also learned oil painting and exhibited his first paintings at the National Academy of Design. When the US Civil War broke out, Homer would draw everyday soldier life, unlike other artists who would paint battles. Homer would travel to other areas like Pennsylvania, Hudson River, and eventually France where he would stay for one year. In 1867, he learned watercolour which would be his main medium in the 1870s. He moved to England in 1881 for two years and returned to Maine, America in 1883 where he would spend the last days of his life painting. Homer’s art style was similar to other French painters at the time such as using simple brush strokes, serial imagery, and the use of outdoor lighting. His paintings would usually include children playing, parents, and women. Because of his time in Maine, he would also draw seascapes. While his oil paintings improved, his watercolour shows a lot of naturalistic details, atmospheric effects, and reflective light that give the paintings complexity and unity. His famous works include Breezing Up A Fair Wind(1876), Four Leaf Clover(1873), The Croquet Match(1869), and The Adirondack Guide(1894). I really enjoyed looking at Homer’s work because his style feels different from other artists that I’ve seen before. Because he uses watercolour whereas others used oil, it makes his paintings have a very unique look to them. His shading and colouring look simple yet detailed which at times give his paintings a slightly abstract feel to them. His portrayal of ordinary people also makes his paintings look believable.