Winslow Homer in Watercolor

Resplendent watercolors of the 19th-century world by New England native Winslow Homer

“You will see,” said American artist Winslow Homer, “in the future I will live by my watercolors.” From his early forays into pastoral landscapes to his more mature works encompassing the maritime scenes for which he is best known, Homer’s watercolors are most remarkable for their reverence of nature and the people who thrive within its conditions—sketches that are both quaint and sublime in scope.
Boasting one of the most significant collections of Homer’s watercolors in the United States, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, presents a luminous collection of nearly 50 works that demonstrate the artist’s mastery of the medium. Readers will be transported to the rugged Maine coast, the rivers and streams of the Adirondacks, the weathered shores of seaside England and the bright beaches of the Caribbean. The many facets of these environments—ecological, artistic, social and economic—are reflected in Homer’s thoughtful compositions that, though more than 100 years old, shine with a modern effervescence.
Winslow Homer (1836–1910) was born in Boston and apprenticed to a commercial lithographer. He taught himself painting while working as a freelance illustrator for Harper’s and other magazines. In 1883 he moved into his permanent home and studio in Prouts Neck, Maine, but continued to find inspiration in his travels to Canada, Cuba, the Bahamas, Key West and the Adirondacks.