Schooner Near a Rocky Coast
Classification
seascapes
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Charles Savage Homer, Jr.
Accession Number
1912-12-3
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Winslow Homer, one of America's foremost Realist painters (1836–1910), captures the raw drama of the sea in *Schooner Near a Coast*, created around 1880. By this time, Homer had retreated to his Prouts Neck, Maine studio where he immersed himself in depicting the Atlantic's untamed power. This seascape exemplifies his shift toward monumental marine subjects, portraying a lone schooner battling rugged coastal cliffs and turbulent waves—a theme that reflected the perilous lives of fishermen and sailors in the late 19th century. Homer's masterful compositions emphasize nature's sublime force, wi...