August in the Country â The Sea-Shore
August 27, 1859
Classification
figures
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of John Goldsmith Phillips, Jr.
Accession Number
1947-4-3
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
**August in the Country – Sea-Shore** by Homer captures a serene moment from the artist's early career. Created on August 27, 1859, when Homer was just 23, work reflects his beginnings as a freelance illustrator for magazines like *Harper's Weekly The precise date suggests it may have been a quick on-site study, evoking the leisurely rhythms of a late-summer day by the American shoreline—a theme Homer would revisit throughout his life. Classified among "figures," the painting likely depicts people enjoying the coastal landscape, aligning with Homer's emerging realist style. He masterfully por...