Bookplate for H. W. Bryant of Portland Maine
1893
Medium
Lithograph
Dimensions
sheet: 4 9/16 x 3 5/16 in. (11.6 x 8.4 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Sinclair Hamilton, 1960
Accession Number
60.519
Tags
Art Historical Context
Created in 1893, Winslow Homer’s “Bookplate for H. W. Bryant of Portland Maine” is a delicate lithograph measuring just over four by three inches. Designed as a personalized label to mark book ownership, the print was made for a resident of Portland, Maine, and features mermaid imagery that reflects the maritime character of the region. Homer, celebrated for his realist depictions of American life and seascapes, here applies his keen observation to a miniature format. Lithography allowed Homer to achieve fine lines and subtle tonal effects suitable for such an intimate object. Though best kno...
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...