Colonel Wilson, of Wilson's Brigade, from Harper's Weekly, May 11, 1861

Art Historical Context

Winslow Homer's *Colonel Wilson, of Wilson's Brigade*, published in *Harper's Weekly* on May 11, 1861, captures the early fervor of the American Civil War through a striking waist-length portrait of the Union officer. As one of Homer's earliest Civil War illustrations, this graphic arts print showcases his emerging talent for realistic depiction, rendered in the wood-engraving style typical of the era's illustrated newspapers. Standing in uniform, Colonel Wilson embodies the disciplined resolve of the North's burgeoning military forces, his pose conveying both authority and patriotism at a tim...

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...