Spring in the City (from "Harper's Weekly," Vol. II)
Original title: Spring in the City (from "Harper's Weekly," Vol. II)
kurzbeschreibung
A wood engraving by Winslow Homer, made on April 17, 1858, for Harper's Weekly, showing a busy street with passersby in the clothing of the period and a child playing in the foreground. The image measures 23.2 x 34.9 cm; the sheet is 29.6 x 40.5 cm.
Description
Several figures in nineteenth-century dress populate the sidewalk: women in full, eye-catching outfits, some with parasols, alongside gentlemen in suits and hats. A child is occupied in the foreground. Above the scene hangs a large sign reading 'LACES & FANCY GOODS,' indicating a shop for lace and fine wares. The print remains black and white throughout, with even lighting and little pronounced shadow.
Context
Harper's Weekly was among the most important illustrated magazines in the nineteenth-century United States; Homer worked for it as a freelance illustrator in the 1850s. This street view captures the fashion and daily life of the time, and shops such as the one marked 'LACES & FANCY GOODS' point to the growing consumer culture in American cities. The print was made before Homer became known as a painter, during his years as an illustrator.
Impact
The dense linework and even lighting give the sheet a calm, observant tone, without dramatic emphasis. Because it records everyday life, the view feels like an authentic document of urban atmosphere around the middle of the nineteenth century. The black-and-white and precise shading lend the image something documentary.
Technique
The woodblock carries the image as a relief cut, from which prints were taken on paper. Fine lines and graduated hatching create the tonal values typical of nineteenth-century printmaking. The image format is 23.2 x 34.9 cm; the sheet is 29.6 x 40.5 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)