The Approach of the British Pirate "Alabama"
April 25, 1863
Classification
figures
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of John Goldsmith Phillips, Jr.
Accession Number
1947-4-7
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Winslow Homer, a pioneering American realist painter (1836–1910), captured the raw tensions of the Civil War in *The Approach of the British "Alabama"*, dated 25, 1863. Best known for his vivid depictions of soldiers, seascapes, and everyday American life, Homer began his career as a war correspondent for *Harper's Weekly*, sketching scenes with unflinching honesty. This work, classified among "figures" in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection, likely portrays a dramatic naval encounter involving the infamous CSS *Alabama*, a Confederate commerce raider built in Britain derisively l...