Thanksgiving Day -- The Church Porch 1865

"Thanksgiving Day -- The Church Porch" (1865) by Winslow Homer depicts a scene of people exiting a church after a Thanksgiving service. The work is a wood engraving, a technique used for printmaking, and illustrates Homer's interest in capturing everyday life in America. The artist utilizes chiaroscuro, a technique that contrasts light and dark to create depth and volume, adding a sense of realism to the scene. This piece, now in the collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Art, provides a glimpse into the social life of 19th-century Americans.