Army of the Potomac - Sleeping on their Arms, from Harper's Weekly, May 28, 1864
1864
Medium
Graphic Arts-Print
Classification
Graphic Arts-Print
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Ray Austrian Collection, gift of Beatrice L. Austrian, Caryl A. Austrian and James A. Austrian
Accession Number
1996.63.124
Tags
Art Historical Context
Winslow Homer's *Army of the Potomac - on their Arms*, published in *Harper's Weekly* on May28, 1864, captures a poignant moment from the American Civil War. a leading illustrator for the era's premier news magazine, Homer depicted the Union Army of the Potomac—under General Ulysses S. Grant during theueling Overland Campaign—ing uneasily amid the conflict. This wood-engraved print, a staple of 19th-century graphic arts, allowed rapid dissemination of war imagery to a nationwide audience, blending journalism with artistry. The scene portrays weary soldiers dozing with rifles at their sides, e...
About the Artist
Winslow Homer · 1836–1910
Winslow Homer (1836-1910) was one of America's greatest painters and a preeminent figure in 19th-century American art. Largely self-taught, Homer began his career as a commercial illustrator and Civil War correspondent for Harper's Weekly before becoming renowned for his powerful marine subjects and landscape paintings. His mastery of both oil and watercolor, combined with his uncompromising reali...