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Born in Boston, MA
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Taught to draw and
paint by his mother, an
amateur watercolorist
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Little formal training
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Worked as an apprentice to a
lithographer
 Disliked it greatly because he was
just copying other people’s art
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Later, became an illustrator
 At 21 yrs., joined Harper’s Weekly
magazine
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During Civil War, sent to the front as an artistcorrespondent for Harper’s
The Army of the Potomac – A
Sharp-Shooter on Picket Duty
Home, Sweet Home (c. 1863)
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His most famous painting from the Civil War – Prisoners from
the Front
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Homer lived in
and visited many
places during his
lifetime
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These places
were represented
in his work
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Here, a
fisherman’s
family awaits his
return
Dad’s Coming (c. 1873)
Gloucester, Massachusetts
• Homer became best known for his “Maritime Art”
• He was wonderful at capturing the many moods of the sea;
incorporating drama, suspense and danger
Breezing Up (A Fair Wind), 1873-1876
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Homer suddenly starting
painting with watercolors
in 1873.
 It had just became a
“respectable” medium in the
mid-1860’s
 Home liked that he could
produce and sell them quickly,
making more money
•
Favorite subjects in both
his oil and watercolors
Solitary women, children,
nature
The Sick Chicken (c. 1874)
• In his early work, Homer often painted rural scenes and farm life
The Milk Maid (c. 1878)
Fresh Eggs (c. 1874)
• Though he never married or had children of his own, Homer
loved painting them in outdoor settings
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Snap the Whip (1872) was one of his most famous works
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You will see one-room schoolhouses, like the one in this piece, in
other Homer paintings
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In 1881-82, Homer spent 20
months in the fishing village of
Cullercoats, England, on the
North Sea
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He loved painting the women
and children there.
Girl Carrying a
Basket (1882)
Mending the Nets
(1882)
Sparrow Hall (c. 1881-2)
Incoming Tide (c. 1883)
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In 1883, Homer moved
permanently to Prouts
Neck, Maine
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He was a loner and
enjoyed the isolation
there
 “Mind your own
business” was his
favorite phrase
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He loved showing the
forces of nature and
violent storms at sea
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Homer’s paintings often seem like they are telling a story – perhaps
in part because of his background as a journalist
The Fog Warning (1885)
•Homer would visit tropical locations such as Bahamas, Florida, Cuba &
Bermuda to escape harsh winters in Maine.
The Water Fan (c. 1898)
•Homer often left
white parts of the
canvas exposed to give
a sense of the brilliant
atmosphere
Salt Kettle, Bermuda (c. 1899)
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Independent, a loner who never married or had children
•
Died in 1910 at his home in Prout’s Neck, Maine
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Ranked as one of the world’s finest watercolorists
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Considered one of the greatest American 19th Century artists
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Best known for his paintings of the sea & his ability to show its
many moods
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Known for using the white of the paper for the lightest values
“The Sun will not rise or set
without my notice and thanks.”
(Winslow Homer)