A Winter Morning – Shovelling Out
Original title: A Winter Morning – Shovelling Out (Every Saturday, Vol. II, New Series)
kurzbeschreibung
Three figures clear snow from a wintry landscape in this wood engraving by Winslow Homer, dated January 14, 1871. Fine lines and hatching run through the picture, reinforcing the bare, cold atmosphere of a winter day.
Description
Two of the three figures carry shovels and are busy clearing snow; the third stands farther back, at work on something in the snow. Bare trees and a snow-covered building make up the setting. The sky looks gloomy, and the whole view stays in shades of gray, built up horizontally with the figures at its center. Fine lines and hatching, typical of the wood engraving, give the image its texture.
Context
Homer made the print as an illustration for the magazine Every Saturday, where it appeared on January 14, 1871. During these years he worked as an illustrator for various periodicals, recording everyday scenes of American life. A winter subject like this one matched the period's appetite for realistic pictures of city and country life.
Impact
Rendered in grays, the gloomy view gives off a quiet, almost melancholy mood that underlines the harshness of winter. The clear arrangement and the central placement of the figures lend the everyday moment a certain dignity and draw the eye to the plain work of shoveling snow.
Technique
The image was cut into a woodblock and printed from it, with the fine lines and hatching visible throughout the picture being characteristic of the technique and allowing detailed textures and shading. The image measures 22.5 x 29.8 cm; the sheet itself is 27.1 x 37.1 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)