The Straw Ride (from "Harper's Bazar," Vol. II)
Original title: The Straw Ride (from "Harper's Bazar," Vol. II)
kurzbeschreibung
Winslow Homer's wood engraving 'The Straw Ride' is dated September 25, 1869. It shows a group of people riding through the countryside on a wagon heavily loaded with straw. The print belongs to 19th-century Realism.
Description
The layout runs horizontally, with the travelers staggered from left to right. Dressed in 19th-century clothing, the women wear long, elegant gowns and hats, the men suits with head coverings; several women carry parasols. Hills and scattered buildings form the backdrop. Tonal values are dominated by grays, the light appears evenly distributed, and shadows are barely discernible. The drawing is precise and detailed, with cleanly set lines and graduated hatching.
Context
The wood engraving was published in 1869 in 'Harper's Bazar', a widely circulated American magazine of the time. Homer then earned his living as an illustrator and regularly supplied scenes of American everyday life. The straw ride refers to middle-class leisure in rural America after the Civil War.
Impact
The print's arrangement feels balanced and calm, evoking an idyllic mood. Looking closely at the figures and the landscape, one can almost follow the outing and sense the atmosphere of the day.
Technique
As a wood engraving, a relief process in which the design is cut out of the woodblock, the print relies on precisely guided lines and hatching. A burin allowed the fine reproduction of textures; printing was done in black and white on paper.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)