On display in the Winslow Homer: Crosscurrents exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Winslow Homer, The Turtle Pound, 1898. Watercolor and graphite on wove paper., 14 15/16” x 21 3/8”. Collection Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, New York.
Promise me you won’t miss the the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s stunning show “Winslow Homer: Crosscurrents,” which closes on July 31.
Featuring 88 works in oil and watercolor, “Crosscurrents” offers a fresh look at Homer’s oeuvre through the lens of conflict, reminding us of the complex times in with the artist lived and of his lifelong engagement with the charged subjects of race, geopolitics, and the environment. Interestingly, nature is always a protagonist to a certain degree.
You’ll find familiar post-Civil War scenes of soldiers, threshers, cotton-pickers, and school children, created by Homer as he grappled with embodying hopes for a renewed America after its unfathomable, violent divide. In addition, you’ll discover lots of moody sand dunes and seascapes, dramatic pitching boats, and New England folk walking the beach, struggling against the elements, or attempting dangerous rescues. But you will also encounter Homer’s remarkable, airy watercolors undertaken on trips to the coast of Florida, Cuba, and the Bahamas, and covering a range of subjects from local architecture to turtle fishing. The tropical palette, subtle details, and lighting effects the artist employed in this group left us breathless. It’s clear that these travels impacted Homer deeply, and that, whether in the States or abroad, he was a person who thrived when he near the water.