Thanksgiving in Camp (from "Harper's Weekly," Vol. VII)
Original title: Thanksgiving in Camp (from "Harper's Weekly," Vol. VII)
kurzbeschreibung
Winslow Homer's wood engraving 'Thanksgiving in Camp' from 1862 brings soldiers together in a field camp for a Thanksgiving meal. Grouped around a set table, tents and a fire frame the celebration.
Description
Soldiers in various uniforms and civilian clothes stand and sit around a table laid with food. Behind them rises a tent with the painted names 'SUTLER' and 'PIERS'. A fire where more soldiers gather, along with an open landscape with tents and a horse, closes off the view to the rear. Grays and browns emphasize the character of the wood engraving; natural light falling from above gives the figures volume.
Context
On November 29, 1862, the print appeared in Harper's Weekly, a magazine that reached a large audience during the American Civil War. Winslow Homer was then working for the paper as a war correspondent and illustrator. The motif takes up the Thanksgiving festival, which was declared a national holiday by Abraham Lincoln in 1863, and directs attention to the everyday life of soldiers in the field camp.
Impact
The close-knit group of figures and the everyday scene make the print feel immediate and lifelike. A calm, almost idyllic mood contrasts with the events of war and conveys community and festivity in the field camp.
Technique
For the magazine print, the original was cut in wood. Fine lines and hatching ensure a detailed reproduction of figures and landscape, typical of the illustrations in Harper's Weekly.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)