Haymaking
Classification
figures
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Charles Savage Homer, Jr.
Accession Number
1912-12-257
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
**Haymaking** (1864) by Winslow Homer captures the timeless rhythm of American rural life during the tumultuous Civil War era. Born in Boston in 1836, Homer rose to prominence as a realist painter, initially through his illustrations for *Harper's Weekly*. This work, now housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum as a gift from Charles Savage Homer, Jr., falls into the "figures" classification, likely depicting laborers engaged in the seasonal toil of haymaking—a vital agrarian activity that sustained the nation amid wartime strife. Homer's realism shines here, emphasizing the dignity of e...