← Winslow Homer

Winter at Sea – Taking in Sail off the Coast

Original title: Winter at Sea – Taking in Sail off the Coast (from "Harper's Weekly," Vol. XIII)

Artist

Winslow Homer

Date

January 16, 1869

Medium

Wood engraving

Dimensions

image: 8 7/8 x 12 7/8 in. (22.5 x 32.7 cm) sheet: 10 13/16 x 15 7/8 in. (27.5 x 40.3 cm)

Credit line

Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1928

kurzbeschreibung

Sailors haul in the sails of a square-rigged ship in wintry weather, caught in a wood engraving by Winslow Homer from 1869. The print served as an illustration for Harper's Weekly magazine.

Description

On the deck of a multi-masted sailing ship, a group of seamen in dark jackets and caps move about, busy reefing the sails. Waves and snowflakes shape the sea around them. The layout feels restless, the light stays murky, and greys and blacks dominate the sheet.

Context

Homer made this wood engraving in 1869 for the American magazine Harper's Weekly, which was known for its illustrations in this printing technique. At the time he was working as an illustrator for the paper, before turning to painting. Sailors and scenes at sea recur often in his early work.

Impact

Dim light and the dark tonality stir a sombre, threatening feeling in the viewer. Because the figures keep moving within the image, the sailors' effort and the danger of the winter sea are easy to follow.

Technique

For this print the design was cut into a block of wood and then pulled — a wood engraving. Fine lines and graded shading are characteristic of the process, which was widespread in the illustrated press of the 19th century.

AI-generated description text

Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)