This past week, as I was looking through books in the library trying to find black and white photographs, I came across a thin little book that was a collection of engravings by an artist Winslow Homer. Immediately, most of them were photo-copied! I liked them, because they looked realistic, and kind of illustrative and they were done in a technique that really appeals to me. They were mostly depictions of everyday life, different people's activities, beach themes that included boats, people on boats, water. All of them are going into my sketchbook, and I want to try to make master copies of them.
Well, yesterday I was driving past Brooks Museum and saw Winslow Homer's name on their exhibition advertisement! So I just went online and researched his name. He is apparently a very well-known artist, what is more he was a very prolific illustrator!! Again, maybe all of you have heard his name, but I'm still learning American art history :)
There is an exhibition of his engravings at the Brooks starting soon, I can't wait to go see it :
Winslow Homer: From Poetry to Fiction
October 29, 2010 - January 2, 2011
The evocative and beautiful wood engravings of Winslow Homer (1836-1910) captured American life in the decades before photography became the preferred medium for illustrating the news. Appearing in magazines such as Harper’s Weekly, his work offered a visual complement to stories of daily life, popular fiction, or major political events. The exhibition of 85 wood engravings includes a full range of Homer’s illustrations, from charming images of children at play or vacationers at the beach, to more somber depictions of soldiers on the front lines of the Civil War. Focusing on the early years of Homer’s career, it offers visitors a chance to experience the artist’s remarkably poignant and enduring images of life in the United States during the mid-1800s.
also, here are some of his engravings and woodcuts I found on the internet:
You're an inspiration to me, Ira! That is because you enjoy being dedicated to your work. Damn! I know your sketchbook is looking great! Oftentimes whenever I'm looking at something that may look good in my sketchbook, I never get around to putting them in there. And heaven knows I'm too lazy to do master copies, but I'll have to get over that at some point. I actually went to the Brooks last week to look for a topic for my Art History paper; I had some one with me who was kind of in a hurry, so I mostly glanced at the art that had nothing to do with my paper. While there, I saw and read the advertisement for the Winslow Homer exhibition. To be honest, I already knew his name, and I believe he may have been one of the Hudson River School artists, but I did not know he did etchings! You can probably look up Thomas Cole and other Hudson River artists to go along with your research if you want to.
ReplyDeletethank you, Christa! I'll look up Hudson River artists!
ReplyDelete