Hon. Elihu B. Washburne of Illinois, Chairman of the Committee on Commerce, from Harper's Weekly, March 17, 1860
1860
Medium
Graphic Arts-Print
Classification
Graphic Arts-Print
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Ray Austrian Collection, gift of Beatrice L. Austrian, Caryl A. Austrian and James A. Austrian
Accession Number
1996.63.195
Tags
Art Historical Context
In 1860, Winslow Homer, then a rising illustrator for *Harper's Weekly*, captured dignified likeness of Hon. Elihu B. Washburne, a prominent Illinois congressman and Chairman of the House Committee on Commerce. This waist-length portrait, published in the magazine's March 17 issue, exemplifies Homer's early mastery of graphic arts through wood engraving—a technique that allowed detailed, reproducible images to reach wide audiences via inexpensive periodicals. Rendered in crisp black-and-white lines, it highlights Washburne's stern gaze and formal attire, conveying authority and resolve. The a...
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...