Halt of a Wagon-train, from Harper's Weekly, February 6, 1864, pp. 88-89
February 6, 1864
Classification
graphic design
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Arthur B. Carlson
Accession Number
1951-93-9
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Winslow Homer, one of America's foremost Realist painters, captured the gritty realities of the Civil War through his work as an illustrator for *Harper's Weekly*. Published on February 6, 1864, *Halt of a Wagon-Train* (pp. 88-89) depicts a momentary pause in the arduous journey of a supply convoy, essential to Union army logistics amid the conflict's brutal campaigns. As a special artist-correspondent embedded with troops, Homer sketched scenes from the front lines, translating them into wood engravings that brought the war's human drama to a nationwide audience. This graphic design piece ex...