The Bathers, from Harper's Weekly, August 2, 1873
1873
Medium
Graphic Arts-Print
Classification
Graphic Arts-Print
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Ray Austrian Collection, gift of Beatrice L. Austrian, Caryl A. Austrian and James A. Austrian
Accession Number
1996.63.84
Tags
Art Historical Context
Winslow Homer, a master of American Realism, captures the simple joys of seaside leisure in *The Bathers*, a wood engraving published in *Harper's Weekly* on August 2, 1873. This lively print depicts women frolicking in the surf, their figures rendered with Homer's characteristic vigor and attention to light and motion. As one of America's foremost illustrators for magazines like *Harper's*, Homer brought high-art realism to a mass audience, bridging fine art and popular culture during the post-Civil War era. The artwork reflects the growing popularity of beach resorts in the late 19th centur...
About the Artist
Winslow Homer · 1836–1910
Winslow Homer (1836-1910) was one of America's greatest painters and a preeminent figure in 19th-century American art. Largely self-taught, Homer began his career as a commercial illustrator and Civil War correspondent for Harper's Weekly before becoming renowned for his powerful marine subjects and landscape paintings. His mastery of both oil and watercolor, combined with his uncompromising reali...