A Cadet Hop at West Point (from "Harper's Weekly," Vol. III)
Original title: A Cadet Hop at West Point (from "Harper's Weekly," Vol. III)
kurzbeschreibung
Winslow Homer's 1859 wood engraving carries us into the great hall of the West Point military academy, where a festive ball is under way. Published in Harper's Weekly on September 3, 1859, the print captures cadets in uniform dancing with elegantly dressed ladies.
Description
Dancing couples fill a stately hall. The women wear long gowns trimmed with flounces, some with veils, and carry fans; the men appear in military uniform. Columns and chandeliers divide the room and give it light. Figures gather in dance formations, some turning in circles, others watching from the edges. Black and white governs the image, which radiates a convivial, celebratory mood.
Context
This wood engraving was an early piece for Harper's Weekly, where Homer worked as an illustrator from 1857. In September 1859 the woodcut illustration was still a central medium of pictorial reporting in American magazines. The military academy at West Point in New York regularly held balls that drew attention far beyond the region as social events.
Impact
The print feels lively and celebratory, drawing the viewer into the social bustle. Clearly structured and full of figures, it conveys documentary closeness to the event without losing any of its movement.
Technique
Fine lines and hatching, cut into the woodblock and printed in relief, allow a precise rendering of light and shadow of the kind that was characteristic of Harper's Weekly illustrations. The sheet measures 11 3/4 x 15 15/16 inches.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)