Spring in the City 17 - 1858

Curator: The feeling I get from this image is certainly of a bustling city, perhaps on the brink of some kind of social change. There's a nervous energy in the way the figures are drawn. Editor: This is "Spring in the City," designed by Winslow Homer. While undated, its location at the Harvard Art Museums places it within a context of institutional curation and historical narrative. What symbols do you see at play here? Curator: Well, the parasols for one, seem to represent status and perhaps an attempt to cling to old world propriety amidst the city's rapid growth. The dogs tugging on their leashes represent a desire for freedom, unrestrained. The boy running in the foreground seems a harbinger of the future, one less bound by social norms. Editor: Indeed. The architecture in the background, the clothing, even the "Laces & Fancy Goods" store all contribute to a sense of 19th-century urban identity in flux, each element carrying its own weight. It's interesting how Homer captures a moment of both anticipation and anxiety. Curator: A society in transition, vividly captured through its material culture. I see that. Editor: Art as a mirror reflecting society's aspirations and uncertainties. It's always been that way.