Horses and Wagon (The Picnic Excursion)
Classification
nature studies
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Charles Savage Homer, Jr.
Accession Number
1912-12-260
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
**Horses and Wagon (The Picnic Excursion)**, painted by Winslow Homer in 1868, captures a serene moment of rural leisure in post-Civil War America. Homer, a pioneering American Realist (1836–1910), often depicted everyday scenes of American life with unflinching honesty and vitality. This work, classified as a nature study, likely portrays horses pulling a wagon on a picnic outing, evoking the simple joys of the countryside amid the nation's recovery from war. The title suggests a lighthearted excursion, reflecting the era's growing appreciation for outdoor recreation and escape from urban ind...