The Rebellious Curator

Watercolour painting by Winslow Homer

Born in 1836, Winslow Homer had a happy childhood growing up in the charming neighborhoods of Old Boston. His mother, who was an artist, encouraged his creativity by introducing him to drawing. As a young man, he worked for Harper's Weekly, and shortly after, had an exhibition of his paintings at The National Academy of Design in New York.

During the Civil War, Homer became a Pictorial Reporter for Harper's, showing every day camp scenes rather than battle scenes. When Homer was 47 years old, his primary medium became watercolour, and his paintings began to show a narrative theme of drama and suspense.

He loved nature, and spent many hours by himself capturing the effects of light. Prior to the 19c, watercolour was only used for preliminary sketches, and not taken seriously as finished works of art. Homer, JMW Turner and Sargent were important artists of the time who used watercolour for finished works.