A Fisher Girl on Beach (Sketch for Illustration of "The Incoming Tide")
Original title: A Fisher Girl on Beach (Sketch for Illustration of "The Incoming Tide")
kurzbeschreibung
Drawn by Winslow Homer in 1876, this sheet shows a fisherwoman standing on the beach with a basket on her back. Executed in metalpoint and crayon on white wove paper, it was intended as a design for an illustration.
Description
A woman in a long skirt and jacket appears with her gaze turned to the left, a large basket slung across her back, her hair tied in a knot. Hints of sea and a small boat fill the space behind her. Delicate black-and-white strokes carry the movement of the water, and the foreground reads with more detail than the distance.
Context
The sketch served as preparatory work for an illustration of "The Incoming Tide," which was published in Harper's Weekly. Through the 1870s Homer spent long stretches on the New England coast, watching the lives of fishermen. Choosing a fisherwoman points to his interest in everyday scenes of the working class.
Impact
Loose linework and the contrast between a detailed foreground and a sketchy distance lend the drawing something spontaneous and alive. The woman's upright stance and the calm surface of the sea call up a quiet, thoughtful mood.
Technique
Metalpoint and crayon meet here on white wove paper. Metalpoint allows fine, precise lines, while crayon softens them into shading. Varying stroke weights stress movement and texture, above all in the water.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)