Soldier Giving Water to a Wounded Companion 1864

"Soldier Giving Water to a Wounded Companion" is a pencil sketch created by Winslow Homer in 1864. The sketch depicts a poignant scene of the American Civil War, capturing the raw emotion and hardship of the conflict. A soldier, with a canteen in hand, kneels beside a wounded comrade, offering him water. The sketch's rough and gestural lines emphasize the urgency of the moment, capturing the immediacy of the scene and the artist's on-the-spot observations. Homer's signature and the date "1864" in the lower right corner further confirm the sketch's relevance to the ongoing war. This powerful image highlights the human cost of war and the acts of compassion that can occur even in the midst of intense violence.