Sketches of Proportions of Classical Orders of Architecture
Medium
architecture
Classification
architecture
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Charles Savage Homer, Jr.
Accession Number
1912-12-157-b
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
In 1862, amid the tumult of the American Civil War, Winslow Homer—then a rising 26-year-old illustrator for *Harper's Weekly*—created *Sketches of Proportions of Classical Orders of Architecture*. These precise drawings capture the harmonious ratios of ancient Greek and Roman column styles: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. Far from Homer's later iconic seascapes and realist scenes of American life, these studies reveal his early fascination with classical principles, essential to architects and artists alike for centuries. Homer's sketches demonstrate his meticulous draftsmanship, likely execute...