Breezing Up (A Fair Wind)
by Winslow Homer, 1876
StyleAmerican Realism
Artwork Details
Details
- Year
- 1876
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Size
- 61.5 × 97 cm (24.2 × 38.2 in)
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Finished in 1876 by Winslow Homer, scene of a catboat sailing into Gloucester harbor around 1873-1876. A man and three boys ride the tilting deck, their catch visible in the boat. The title captures both the fresh breeze filling the sail and the optimistic spirit of young America.
Homer worked on the painting for three years, refining the composition through watercolors and sketches. The diagonal of the sail, the spray of the waves, and the leaning figures create dynamic tension balanced by the calm horizon.
This is one of Homer's most beloved paintings and a centerpiece of American art at the National Gallery of Art.
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Gian Federico Madruzzo Oil Canvas Giovanni Battista[1]
Giovanni Battista Moroni
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
D
Dancer in pink dress
Edgar Degas
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
H
Holy Family
Bronzino
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
T
The Harbor at Lorient
Berthe Morisot
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
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About Breezing Up (A Fair Wind)
This beloved Winslow Homer painting is at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.
It's a catboat, a type of sailboat popular in New England. Homer named it the 'Gloucester' after the Massachusetts fishing port where he painted.
Homer spent about three years developing this composition through watercolors and oil sketches before completing the final canvas around 1876.
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