March Winds (from "Harper's Weekly," Vol. III)
Original title: March Winds (from "Harper's Weekly," Vol. III)
kurzbeschreibung
A knot of pedestrians is caught in a sudden squall on an open street — that is the subject Winslow Homer fixed in 'March Winds,' a wood engraving dated April 2, 1859. The print formed part of a two-page spread in Harper's Weekly and takes aim at the fitful weather of early spring.
Description
Bent into the wind, several figures in period dress hold their ground: one clamps down his hat, another clutches a failing umbrella, while gusts pull at coats and skirts. Behind them a street opens up, lined with buildings. Gradations of gray and white dominate, as was usual for wood engraving; slanted lines and flapping garments set the whole arrangement in motion.
Context
Homer drew the engraving for the April 2, 1859 issue of Harper's Weekly, a widely read illustrated magazine of the day. He was working as a freelance illustrator at the time, supplying scenes of everyday life, often with a humorous or atmospheric touch. Its placement in early April picks up the theme of March winds, which, together with the sheet 'April Showers,' formed a series.
Impact
The fickleness of the weather becomes something you feel directly: looking at the print, a viewer almost physically follows the shift and the movement. Out of an ordinary incident and a dynamic layout comes a lively, even cheerful tone.
Technique
For this sheet the design was cut into a woodblock and afterwards printed on paper. Delicate lines and the steps between gray and white attest to the precision of the process, which was common for reproduction in magazines.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)