Raid on a Sand-Swallow Colony â "How Many Eggs?"
June 13, 1874
Classification
figures
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of John Goldsmith Phillips, Jr.
Accession Number
1947-4-31
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Winslow Homer, one of America's foremost Realist painters, captured the spirited essence of everyday life in *Raid on a Sand-Sallow Colony – "How Eggs?"*, dated June 13, 1874. Known for his masterful depictions of coastal scenes, fishermen, and the raw beauty of nature, Homer often portrayed boys engaged in adventurous pursuits along New England's shores. This work, classified among "figures" in the Smithsonian American Art's collection, likely illustrates a lively moment of youthful mischief—children raiding a colony of sand-swallows to harvest eggs, their eager question echoing the thrill of...