Three Sketches of Schooners
Medium
seascapes
Classification
seascapes
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Charles Savage Homer, Jr.
Accession Number
1912-12-9
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Winslow Homer, one of America's greatest Realist painters (1836–1910), captured the raw power of the sea in *Three Sketches of Schers*, created around 1880. These, evocative studies depict schooners—traditional sailing vessels central to New England's maritime life—likely drawn from Homer's observations along the Atlantic coast. By this time, Homer had shifted from Civil War illustrations to immersive seascapes, reflecting his deepening fascination with nature's drama and the hardy lives of fishermen. As preparatory sketches, these works highlight Homer's masterful technique: loose, fluid lin...