Perils of the Sea
1888
Medium
Graphic Arts-Print
Classification
Graphic Arts-Print
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase
Accession Number
1966.66.5
Tags
Art Historical Context
Winslow Homer's *Perils of the Sea* (1888) is a striking graphic arts print that captures the raw fury of the ocean, a recurring theme in the artist's oeuvre. Created during Homer's later years at his Prouts Neck, Maine studio this work exemplifies his mastery of Realism, where he depicted the unyielding power of nature against human vulnerability. As a printmaker, Homer employed techniques like etching to achieve dramatic contrasts of light and shadow, emphasizing the sea's turbulent waves crashing toward a distant house and a group of figures in peril—likely fishermen or shipwreck survivors ...
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...