Two Studies of a Sailor with Raised Arm
1895â96
Classification
figures
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Charles Savage Homer, Jr.
Accession Number
1912-12-33
About this artwork
Sketch of the head and shoulders of sailor, wearing a wide-brimmed hat and holding a coat (a sou'wester), at right. Another sailor, nearly full-length, with left arm raised, is shown wearing rain hat and yelling. A sketch of clouds and sea appears at left. Various notations at the margins.
Art Historical Context
Winslow Homer, a towering figure in American Realism, created *Two Studies of a Sailor with Raised Arm* around 1895–96, during his later years at his Prouts Neck, Maine. By this time, Homer had fully embraced maritime themes, capturing the raw drama of fishermen and sailors battling the Atlantic's fury. These quick sketches—likely pencil or charcoal on paper—reveal his meticulous preparatory process, blending portrait-like detail with elemental force. On the right, sailor's head and shoulders emerge under a wide-brimmed hat, a sou'wester coat, essential gear for stormy seas. To the left, a ne...