Prout's Neck, Breakers
1883
Medium
Watercolor, with blotting and sanding, over charcoal, on moderately thick, moderately textured, ivory wove paper
Dimensions
38.1 × 54.6 cm (15 × 21 1/2 in.)
Classification
watercolor
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
16815
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Homer’s decision to move to Maine in 1883 presumably indicated his desire to live close to nature—Prout’s Neck was a peninsula known for its rocky coastline and dramatic views of the Atlantic Ocean. Prout’s Neck, Breakers, later the model for the monumental oil painting Early Morning after a Storm at Sea, shows the artist’s continued fascination with the power of the sea. However, unlike his earlier marine works, this and other watercolors made at Prout’s Neck are usually devoid of human activit...
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...