Allow Me to Examine the Young Lady
Original title: "Allow Me to Examine the Young Lady" (from "The Mistress of the Parsonage," in "Harper's Weekly")
kurzbeschreibung
This 1860 wood engraving by Winslow Homer captures a domestic encounter: a woman reading and a man standing beside her. It appeared in Harper's Weekly on February 18, 1860, accompanying the story 'The Mistress of the Parsonage.' The print is a black-and-white wood engraving measuring 4 3/8 by 4 1/2 inches.
Description
In the right foreground, a woman in a dark dress and hat sits on a bench, holding a book and turning her gaze toward the others. A man in a suit stands next to her, seemingly addressing her. Behind them, a group has gathered around a table—some conversing, others watching. The layout is clearly structured, with figures distinctly separated. Even light suffuses the scene, with barely any shadows, as was typical of wood engravings of the period.
Context
Winslow Homer created this illustration for Harper's Weekly, one of the leading American magazines of the 19th century. It illustrates an episode from the story 'The Mistress of the Parsonage,' printed in the February 18, 1860 issue. At the time, Homer was working as a freelance magazine illustrator before later turning to painting.
Impact
A quiet, observant mood of bourgeois everyday life emanates from the print. A slight tension arises between the reading woman and the standing man, prompting curiosity about what happens next. Clear lines and a balanced arrangement give the view a timeless clarity.
Technique
In wood engraving, the image is cut into a woodblock and then printed on paper. Fine lines and graded hatching attest to the technical precision of the process. Rendered in black and white, the print matches the standard of illustrated magazines of the time.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)