A Snow Slide in the City (from "Harper's Weekly," Vol. IV)
Original title: A Snow Slide in the City (from "Harper's Weekly," Vol. IV)
kurzbeschreibung
Winslow Homer's 1860 wood engraving captures a winter street where pedestrians react to a sudden avalanche of snow. Men and women in coats and hats appear caught between helping and watching. The print was published as an illustration in Harper's Weekly.
Description
A bustling crowd fills the urban scene: some are clearly struck by the collapse, while others hurry over or stand observing. Hats and coats emphasize the cold, and figures scatter in various directions. Buildings and streetlamps hint at the setting. The arrangement feels restless, driven by the differing reactions. Monochrome tones and soft light, typical of wood-engraved illustrations, blend realistic observation with dramatic accents.
Context
Harper's Weekly was among the leading American magazines of the 19th century and was known for its wood-engraved illustrations. In the late 1850s and early 1860s, Winslow Homer worked as a freelance illustrator for the magazine before achieving fame as a painter. Dated January 14, 1860, the work shows an everyday winter scene in an American city—a subject frequently taken up in the press of that era. Such wood engravings appeared in large print runs and reached a broad audience.
Impact
Between winter's daily bustle and sudden danger, a tension arises that pulls the viewer straight into the action. The animated sequence of figures and the realistic style convey a documentary immediacy, heightened by the dramatic turn of events.
Technique
For the wood engraving, the design was cut into a woodblock and then printed on paper. This technique allowed for fine lines and details, as needed for reproduction in magazines. The print measures approximately 23.2 x 34.9 cm for the image and 27.3 x 40.5 cm for the sheet.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)