After writing a 1,000 word piece about Winslow Homer's eighteen month stay at an English fishing village, I have been writing a series of primers about other artists who made similar journeys. Links to the series here: Gauguin; Manet; John Marin; JMW Turner; Monet. In the final post in this series, I rate Winslow Homer himself.
Who
Winslow Homer (1836-1910), American landscape and marine painter.
Coastal association
The coast of New England in the USA, and Cullercoats, in the north of England.
First coastal visit
Like several painters in this series, Homer was born near the sea (Boston, Massachussetts), spent much time inland or in big cities while building his career, then returned to the coast, this time that of Maine, in 1883.
Reasons for visiting
Homer had painted marine scenes before the 1880s, but it was his two year stay in Cullercoats, a tiny fishing cove on the northeast coast of England, that influenced his decision to move permanently to Maine. Historians say that disappointments in his personal life caused him to withdraw into an isolated life, remote from the art center of New York. He was probably also drawn by the opportunity to continue painting scenes similar to those he had painted in England -- scenes in the lives of those who live from the sea, set against the dramatic action of waves and clouds.
Dates visited
His Maine period lasted from 1883 to his death in 1910.
Effect on Work
Homer's marine paintings from the 1880s onwards are notable for their sombre colours, their dramatic compositions that often feature boats rocking in high waves, and their almost classical nobility. They seem to be imbued with realistic depictions of the texture and colour of water, air, the wood of the boats, the oily coats of fishermen, yet simultaneously they seem to be allegories for the age-old and universal struggles of working people.
Sea Rating
10 out of 10.
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| Winslow Homer, The Northeaster, oil on canvas, 1895 |
Winslow Homer (1836-1910), American landscape and marine painter.
Coastal association
The coast of New England in the USA, and Cullercoats, in the north of England.
First coastal visit
Like several painters in this series, Homer was born near the sea (Boston, Massachussetts), spent much time inland or in big cities while building his career, then returned to the coast, this time that of Maine, in 1883.
Reasons for visiting
Homer had painted marine scenes before the 1880s, but it was his two year stay in Cullercoats, a tiny fishing cove on the northeast coast of England, that influenced his decision to move permanently to Maine. Historians say that disappointments in his personal life caused him to withdraw into an isolated life, remote from the art center of New York. He was probably also drawn by the opportunity to continue painting scenes similar to those he had painted in England -- scenes in the lives of those who live from the sea, set against the dramatic action of waves and clouds.
Dates visited
His Maine period lasted from 1883 to his death in 1910.
 |
| Winslow Homer, The Fog Warning, oil on canvas, 1885 |
Homer's marine paintings from the 1880s onwards are notable for their sombre colours, their dramatic compositions that often feature boats rocking in high waves, and their almost classical nobility. They seem to be imbued with realistic depictions of the texture and colour of water, air, the wood of the boats, the oily coats of fishermen, yet simultaneously they seem to be allegories for the age-old and universal struggles of working people.
Sea Rating
10 out of 10.