Our Watering Places – Horse Racing at Saratoga (from "Harper's Weekly," Vol. IX) 1865

Winslow Homer created this print, "Our Watering Places – Horse Racing at Saratoga," for Harper's Weekly in 1865. Published towards the end of the Civil War, it captures a scene of leisure and social gathering at the Saratoga race track. What strikes me here is how Homer depicts a world of gendered spaces and social hierarchies. The foreground is dominated by women in elaborate dresses and hats, observing the race from a privileged vantage point. Their presence speaks to the changing role of women in post-war society, where leisure and public life became increasingly accessible to the upper classes. The artist focuses on the spectacle of wealth and leisure, but it’s a very specific slice of society that is represented. Homer was keen on capturing scenes of contemporary life, and his images often reflect the cultural values and social dynamics of his time. Although the print seems like a simple depiction of a day at the races, it subtly reveals the complexities of class, gender, and identity in a rapidly changing America. You can almost feel the excitement of the race and the fashionable atmosphere of the event.