Beschreibung:

Winslow Homer (American, 1836-1910) Girl Sitting on a Plow Signed and dated "Winslow Homer 1879" l.r. Graphite on paper, 5 7/8 x 9 5/8 in. (14.5 x 24.4 cm), framed. Condition: Subtle toning, unobtrusive staining, minor (under 1/2 inch) crease c.r. and l.l. Provenance: From the artist to Frederick Taylor Rundlet at Gloucester, Massachusetts, circa 1879; then by descent to the present owner. N.B. This drawing will be included in the forthcoming third volume of the Spanierman Gallery/CUNY/Goodrich/Whitney catalogue raisonne of Winslow Homer We are grateful to Abigail Booth Gerdts for her assistance in cataloguing this work. Born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1836, Winslow Homer is recognized as one of the greatest American artists of the nineteenth century. At the age of 19, with limited formal training, Homer became an apprentice in the Boston lithographic firm of J.H. Bufford. Subsequently, Homer began working as a freelance illustrator. His unique ability to observe the human condition and his newly honed skills as a draughtsman suited him for the task, and by 1859 he had moved to New York to become the lead illustrator for Harper's Weekly. Harper's sent Homer to Virginia to cover the Civil War. Rather than focusing on images of battle, Homer was intrigued by life in the camps. His images are uniquely powerful and genuine in their portrayal of the Union troop experience. The period following the American Civil War was marked by anxiety for the future of America, and a nostalgia for America's pre-war past. Both of these are expressed in Homers works of the 1870s, but the nostalgia is especially strong as evidenced by his interest in his subjects of children and country life at this time. These same elements are present in the drawing presented here, with the figure's quiet, contemplative glance to the side, as she waits on the plow. for more information see: http://www.askart.com/AskART/artists/biography.aspx?searchtype=BIO&artist=21592