Aaron Holland Fine Art

Winslow Homer
1836-1910
American

I have found that the more I study the paintings of Winslow Homer, and try to see the personality behind the pictures, the more I come to appreciate his work and his life. I see Winslow Homer as an artist of the highest caliber. Almost 150 years after he painted, his pictures still find their way into popular books, calenders, posters, and current retrospectives.

Winslow Homer lived near the ocean most of his life. He grew up in Boston, moved several times, and eventually settled in Maine. He traveled frequently, sketched incessantly, and hunted and fished as often. Homer started his career in a Lithographer’s studio, and eventually became a freelance illustrator. He served in the front lines as a War Artist during the Civil War, before seeking the solitude of Prout’s Neck- a small fishing village on the Atlantic.

Because he was rather solitary and intensely private in his personal life, there has been speculation and curiosity as to the nature of his character. Pre-conceived notions are usually a hindrance to the viewer when trying to understand great art. One needs only to look at paintings with an unbiased eye to see the artist’s personality.

When the artist communicates with the viewer it is to express what is important to them. Although it is usually in abstract concepts that they are able to communicate best, it must not be forgetten that this should be seen in the context of a whole body of work, and not based solely on one or two pictures. In an artist’s oeuvre over-arching themes begin to emerge, and patterns of personal preferences start to become visible. By what they paint, as well as what they choose NOT to paint, something of the artist is seen throughout.

In today’s day and age where the “norm” could sometimes be called obscene, Homer reminds me of simpler things.

I cannot be sure, but Winslow Homer appears to have been a “gentle-man” as well as a “man’s man”, based upon how he chose to portray people involved in everyday activities.

The men are strong and brave. Rugged and handsome, he shows men at home in the outdoors. He portrays men as hunters, fishers, and sailors in harmony with their environment. They are natural comrades and brothers-at-arms, as well as the the hero to the heroine. Winslow Homer is considered to have been one of the first “Sporting Artists”.

The women are respectable, fruitful and faithful counter-parts.

Winslow Homer painted women who were intelligent, affectionate, and attractive.

He painted them simply and becomingly.

There is also an insightful and charming way in which he portrays children. Homer painted children in play and in repose, focusing often on the lighter and more innocent side of life.



Winslow Homer was extremely prolific in his output, and produced hundreds of paintings. He came to watercolor late in his maturity as an artist, but stated publicly that it would be his defining medium. He was correct. This seemed to fit Homer’s approach to painting. Watercolor is a portable medium for those who like to travel and yields great results fairly quickly. He once mused that this was a medium being touted as a “beginner’s medium”, but was difficult even for the expert. He was drawn to the luminosity that can be achieved with watercolor, and liked the challenge of creating a pure light effect without muddying the colors.

Homer continued to exhibit regularly all of his life. He received a number of awards, notably a Gold medal at the Chicago World’s Fair, and a Gold Medal at the Paris Exposition of 1900.

Winsow Homer died quietly at his home in Maine at the age of 74. His legacy remains a testament to the spirit of the American people, and a continuing contribution to the art of painting.