The Picnic Excursion (from "Appleton's Journal," Vol. I)
Original title: The Picnic Excursion (from "Appleton's Journal," Vol. I)
kurzbeschreibung
Winslow Homer made this wood engraving, The Picnic Excursion, in 1869 as an illustration for Appleton's Journal. It belongs to his contributions to that magazine and shows a party on an outing in the countryside. Several figures, a carriage and a dog appear in the foreground.
Description
A seated man holding a glass opens the foreground; beside him stands a woman in a long dress with a basket. Another woman lowers her gaze. Behind this group, a carriage with several passengers on the back seat comes into view, and a dog lies on the ground in front of it. The carriage sits at the middle of the layout, the figures gather around it, and grass and a clear sky close the scene.
Context
The engraving was made for Appleton's Journal, which first appeared in 1869. In the second half of the nineteenth century, wood engravings were a common means of illustration in American magazines. Homer was working as a freelance illustrator at the time and regularly contributed to various publications.
Impact
Even light and carefully detailed clothing give the print a calm, idyllic mood. The figures arranged around the carriage seem orderly and harmonious; the sociable picnic comes across as a pleasant leisure activity.
Technique
In this wood engraving, the image is cut into a woodblock and then printed. The monochrome rendering without visible shading is characteristic of the technique. The image measures 16.5 x 23.2 cm, a format common for magazine illustrations of the period.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)