Northeaster 1895

Winslow Homer made this painting of a storm at sea using oil paints on canvas. The traditional materials belie the radical nature of the composition. Homer was part of a generation of painters after the Civil War who were committed to the direct experience of nature. The material qualities of oil paint serve Homer’s project well here. With its capacity to capture light and movement, oil on canvas allows Homer to record the churning ocean. The impasto of the paint gives a sculptural quality to the waves, as if we are seeing them in real time. This reflects a shift toward working “en plein air,” or in the open air – an emphasis on the direct experience of nature. Homer's choice to focus on the ocean’s power, and its ability to overcome human activity, speaks to wider social issues of labor and politics. In contrast to other traditional landscape paintings, Homer chose a subject matter that highlights the vulnerability of man, and the awesome force of nature. We begin to question the traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.