Study for "Rocky Coast and Gulls"
Classification
seascapes
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Charles Savage Homer, Jr.
Accession Number
1912-12-262
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Winslow Homer, one of America's foremost realist painters (1836–1910), created *Study for "Rocky and Gulls"* in1869, during a pivotal phase of his career. Fresh from his Civil War illustrations and early landscape experiments, Homer was honing his mastery of the natural world, particularly the rugged Atlantic coastline. This preparatory sketch captures emerging fascination with seascapes—dynamic scenes of waves crashing against rocks and seabirds wheeling overhead—foreshadowing his later iconic marine paintings. As a study, this work reveals Homer's meticulous process: quick, observational dr...