Sloop, Nassau 1899

Winslow Homer made this watercolor painting, Sloop, Nassau, during one of his trips to the Bahamas in the late 1800s. It shows a boat with two black figures, presumably locals, sailing on the water. The composition is simple, almost documentary, yet the loose brushwork and luminous colors evoke the atmosphere of the tropical island. Homer’s trips to the Bahamas coincided with a period of increased interest in the region among American tourists and artists. This interest was fueled by a combination of factors including the rise of a leisure class, the expansion of transportation networks, and the growing popularity of landscape painting. But the imagery has political implications, reflecting the complex relationship between the US and the Bahamas in the post-slavery era. Art history benefits from a careful contextualization of the work of art, for example by consulting travel guides, economic surveys, and the writings of social critics. In this way, the image can be seen as a site of cultural exchange and negotiation.