Two Figures in a Rowboat 1880

Winslow Homer’s drawing captures two figures in a rowboat through a study of tonal contrasts and sparse lines. Washes of grey ink define the figures and boat against the white paper, evoking a sense of a hazy day at sea. The composition is structured by a strong horizontal line of the sea and a triangular grouping of the figures and the boat, creating a serene balance. Homer uses the contrast between the solid forms of the figures and the delicate reflections in the water to play with perception, disrupting a clear distinction between the real and its mirrored image. This can be seen as an exploration of semiotics, where the signs—the figures and boat—are destabilized by their reflections, challenging fixed meanings. Homer's focus on formal elements and their interplay allows the drawing to exist as a study in perception, mirroring the shifts in how we understand the world through art.