New York Charities--St. Barnabas House, from Harper's Weekly, April 18, 1874
1874
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
1996.63.95
Tags
Art Historical Context
Winslow Homer's *New York Charities--St. Barnabas House*, published in *Harper's Weekly* on April 18, 1874, offers a poignant glimpse into Gilded Age philanthropy in New York City. As a leading illustrator for the influential weekly magazine, Homer captured the bustling urban scene of charitable institutions like St. Barnabas House, a home likely aiding women and children amid rapid industrialization and immigration. This wood engraving print reflects the era's growing awareness of social welfare, blending realism with journalistic urgency to humanize the city's underprivileged. Homer, a pion...
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...