Two Studies of a Young Girl Looking Over Her Shoulder
Classification
figures
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Charles Savage Homer, Jr.
Accession Number
1912-12-131
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Winslow Homer, a pivotal figure in American Realism, created *Two Studies of a Young Looking Over Her Shoulder* 1861, at the outset of the Civil War. Born in Boston in 1836, Homer his career as a commercial illustrator for magazines like *Harper's Weekly honing his skills in capturing candid, everyday moments. This pair of figure studies reflects his early fascination with the human form, rendered with a keen eye for natural posture and expression—the girl's glance over her shoulder evokes curiosity and innocence amid a turbulent era. Though the medium remains unidentified (likely pencil or c...