The New Year 1869

"The New Year" is a wood engraving by American artist Winslow Homer, created in 1869. The print depicts a young boy riding a tricycle marked “1869”, symbolizing the arrival of the new year. A woman dressed in white representing the past year holds the reins of the tricycle as it departs, while a man in the distance pushes a wheelbarrow labeled “1868” to symbolize the departing year. The work showcases Homer’s ability to capture a moment in time with a sense of movement and dynamism, reflecting the rapidly changing social landscape of the post-Civil War era.