The Tenth Commandment 1870

This wood engraving, entitled “The Tenth Commandment,” was made by Winslow Homer and published in Harper’s Weekly, a popular journal of the time, on March 12, 1870. Homer was working as an illustrator during this period. The image is a commentary on the tenth commandment, "Thou shalt not covet," and it reflects the social tensions of the Reconstruction era in the United States. The opulence associated with the House of the Rich is juxtaposed against the servitude of the working class woman which creates meaning through visual codes that relate to social class. Harper's Weekly was a widely read publication that helped to shape public opinion, using imagery to reinforce the existing social structures of the time. When examining this type of work, a historian can research publications and other popular media, in order to better understand the complex interplay between art, commerce, and social values. Ultimately, it shows how art is contingent on the social and institutional context.