Artist of the Month: Winslow Homer

Artist of the Month: Winslow Homer

Winslow Homer is known as one of the greatest American painters of the 19th Century. Homer had a varied career including printmaker, artist-report, painter. In his early career, Winslow Homer traveled with the Union Troops during the Civil War. Afterwards, he went on to paint everyday life and picturesque waterscapes to dramatic paintings of life on the sea.

Breezing Up (A Fair Wind), 1873
oil on canvas
National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
(public domain image)

Fast Facts:
Birth: February 24, 1836 Boston, MA
Death: September 29, 1910 Maine 74 years of age
Works of art: over 2000 - paintings, drawings, prints
Medium: Oil paint, watercolors, drawings
Art Classification: Realism
Self taught artist

Interesting Tidbits:
Favorite: Loved Nature
Career:  age 19 Commercial printmaker 2 years
1858 - 1874: Harper's Weekly Artist-reporter. Illustrations of the Civil War.
Sent to the war front several times. One of the few artists-reporters to travel with the Union Troops and give first hand depiction of the war.
1873: started painting regularly with watercolors
Unique Lodgings: Lived in Eastern Point Lighthouse, MA for a short time
Travels: Key West, Bahamas, Cuba, Canada, Adirondack Mountains, England

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"Can You" Create Activities!

CREATE a work of art featuring
the water and or water activity - lake, pond, river, waterfall, ocean, bay, sound. 🚣🏽🏄🏽‍♀️⛵🎣🖼️

CREATE a work of art that tells
a dramatic story. 🎭🖼️



Carefully OBSERVE The Life Line and The Gulf Stream.
What do you notice? Look closely at the details.
There is an incredible story taking place. 🔍

WRITE the beginning/ending to
The Life Line
orThe Gulf Stream. 📝

WRITE a dramatic story -
it could be fiction or real life! 🎭📝

If you could INTERVIEW Winslow Homer,
what questions would you ask him? 🎤