Life in Camp, Part 1: Riding on a Rail
Medium
Color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 4 1/8 x 2 3/8 in. (10.4 x 6.1 cm)
Classification
Prints|Ephemera
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Jefferson Burdick Collection, Gift of Jefferson Burdick, 1947
Accession Number
47.91.25(183)
Tags
Art Historical Context
"Life in Camp, Part1: Riding on a" is a vibrant color lithograph created in 1864 by artist Winslow Homer and printed by Louis Prang & Co. petite print, measuring just 4 1/8 x 2 3/8 inches, captures a lively moment of soldierly camaraderie during the American Civil War. Homer, renowned for his realistic portrayals of everyday American life, sketched scenes from Union army camps while working as a special artist for Harper's Weekly, bringing the gritty realities of war to a curious public. The title hints at "riding the rail," a rough-and-tumble camp pastime or punishment where soldiers balance...
About the Artist
Winslow Homer|Louis Prang & Co. · 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...