Full Description
Winslow Homer's luminous watercolor seascapes and highly spirited portraits of children and outdoorsmen are some of the most recognizable and cherished works in the history of American art. This catalogue, published in conjunction with a major traveling exhibition, examines his pictures from the 1870s, the least-studied period of this perennially popular American artist. Debunking the common myth that Homer worked in isolation, Margaret Conrads reveals him as a controversial artist who was an integral part of the dizzying New York art scene of the 1870s. Indeed, Homer was the American artist most frequently discussed by the press at this time - often with simultaneous commendation and vilification. By viewing Homer's works of the 1870s through the lens of contemporaneous criticism, the author explains how and why the painter embodied the critics' high hopes for an art that expressed national values. She finds reflected in his vivid images an ongoing struggle to meet these expectations, even as he challenged and helped to redefine the artistic conventions governing American aesthetics.With almost one hundred full-color plates and nearly sixty black-and-white illustrations, this handsome volume is a remarkable record of an important period not only in Winslow Homer's career but also in the fascinating art world of late-nineteenth-century America.
Contents
Lenders to the Exhibition vi Foreword vii Acknowledgements ix Introduction 1 Chapter 1 1868-69: "Mr. Winslow Homer ... Is at Home Once More" 9 Chapter 2 1870-72: Commanding Respect and Challenging Admiration 25 Chapter 3 1873-74: On Shifting Ground 49 Chapter 4 1875: "In the Midst of an Era of Revolution" 65 Chapter 5 1876: The Centennial Year 87 Chapter 6 1877-78: Facing the "New Departure" 107 Chapter 7 1879: "Mr. Winslow Homer Is Wholly 'En Rapport' with American Life" 145 Chapter 8 1880-81: Moving On 169 Chapter 9 "What Shall We Say aboput Winslow Homer?" 197 Appendix Leading Art Critics, Writers, and Editors, 1868-81 203 Checklist of the Exhibition 206 Notes 210 Selected Bibliography 241 Photography Credits 247 Index 248
