Winslow Homer


Winslow Homer in his studio at Prouts Neck with his painting The Gulf Stream by an unknown photographer, c. 1900. Albumen print 4 11/16 x 6 3/4 inches. Bowdoin College Museum of Art, gift of the Homer Family, 1964.69.179.9. Photo credit: © Bowdoin College Museum of Art.

Born in 1836, Winslow Homer’s artistic career began first as a commercial printmaker, and then a freelance illustrator working in New York City for popular magazines such as Harper’s Weekly. He quickly came to national attention for his images of modern American life, particularly of Civil War subjects. Producing commercial illustrations until 1875, he increasingly concentrated on oil painting and watercolor, receiving critical acclaim as one of the nation’s most original artists for his depictions of contemporary life as well as his perceptive realism. In 1884, Homer moved to Prouts Neck, a coastal community in southern Maine where he lived until his death in 1910. There, his art changed dramatically in theme and mood, often featuring richly textured, monumental seascapes with little or no human presence. These pictures influenced generations of artists, transformed marine painting in the United States, and continue to be considered among the greatest masterpieces of American art.

Primary Medium: Painting (oil and watercolor), Printmaking, Illustration

Primary Stylistic Term: American Realism

HAHS Affiliations: During his early career, Homer’s works were associated with the Hudson River School artists such as Thomas Cole and Frederic Church.

Fun Fact: Winslow Homer was known for fiercely protecting his privacy—but always with a sense of humor. At his studio home in Prouts Neck, he installed a hand-painted sign that read “Snakes, snakes, mice!” as well as a door knocker shaped like the head of Medusa to ward off unwitting visitors. The sign is still intact and on view at the studio site for visitors to see.

Recommended Publications: Winslow Homer: Crosscurrents, edited by Stephanie L. Herdrich and Sylvia Yount (Metropolitan Museum of Art / Yale University Press, 2022); At First Light: Two Centuries of Maine Artists, Their Homes, and Studios by Anne Collins Goodyear, Frank H. Goodyear III, et al. (Rizzoli Electa, 2020); Weatherbeaten: Winslow Homer and Maine by Thomas Andrew Denenberg (Portland Museum of Art, 2012); Frederic Church, Winslow Homer, and Thomas Moran: Tourism and the American Landscape by Dr. Barbara Bloemink, Dr. Gail Davidson, Floramae McCarron-Cates, Dr. Sarah Burns, and Dr. Karal Ann Marling (2006)