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Two Boys Watching Schooners

A work made of watercolor, with graphite, on moderately thick, rough-textured, ivory wove paper.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of watercolor, with graphite, on moderately thick, rough-textured, ivory wove paper.

Date:

1880

Artist:

Winslow Homer
American, 1836-1910

About this artwork

Created in 1880 during Homer’s second visit to Gloucester, Massachusetts, Two Boys Watching Schooners shows two boys perched on an enormous rock, a vantage point from which they could keep an eye on the comings and goings of the fishing fleet. In this work, the artist juxtaposed the figures and shore (rendered in warm tones) with the cool blue tones of the harbor, sky and schooner. In this way, he emphasized the psychological isolation of those who waited on shore, hoping and watching for the safe return of those who made their living from the sea.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

Winslow Homer

Title

Two Boys Watching Schooners

Place

United States (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1880

Medium

Watercolor, with graphite, on moderately thick, rough-textured, ivory wove paper

Inscriptions

Signed recto, lower left, in graphite: "Homer/1880"; on prow of boat, in watercolor: "HOMER" Inscribed verso, center, in graphite: "M.K.W.C. 1025//Marblehead"

Dimensions

22.7 × 34 cm (8 15/16 × 13 7/16 in.)

Credit Line

Mr. and Mrs. Martin A. Ryerson Collection

Reference Number

1933.1244

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/16803/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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