High Tide (from "Every Saturday," Vol. I, New Series)
Original title: High Tide (from "Every Saturday," Vol. I, New Series)
kurzbeschreibung
Winslow Homer's wood engraving Hohe Flut, dated August 6, 1870, is a beach scene made for the magazine Every Saturday. Three figures stand in the foreground with the sea behind them. The print belongs to Homer's illustrative work of this period.
Description
In front, a woman bends and lets water run from her hand into the sand; a man watches her from behind, while a boy sits off to the side on the sand and looks toward the sea. Beyond this group the water stretches out in waves, and farther away a few people walk along the shore. A cloudy sky hangs over the whole view, reinforcing the calm mood. The layout is broad: the figures occupy the foreground, with sea and sky layered behind them.
Context
This illustration was made for the magazine Every Saturday in 1870 and belongs to one of the first series in a new format. Homer was working as a freelance illustrator at the time and supplied numerous wood engravings to various publications. The subject of a day at the beach draws on a taste for coastal motifs that American art favored in those years.
Impact
The black-and-white rendering creates a quiet, almost meditative atmosphere. Clear lines and graded shading bring a wealth of detail into the image, letting the viewer follow the moment at the shore.
Technique
Wood engraving involves cutting the motif into a wood block, which is then printed. The crisp contours and nuanced shading with which Homer captures the texture of the sand and the light on the water show his assured handling of the method.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)