The Fishing Party (from "Appleton's Journal," Vol. II) 1869

Winslow Homer’s “The Fishing Party,” was made using wood engraving for Appleton’s Journal. Wood engraving is a relief printing technique, where an image is carved into the end grain of a block of wood, then inked and printed. Here, the sharp, clean lines create detailed textures, especially in the women’s dresses and hats. The way the dresses are depicted, with all their frills and ornamentation, hints at the leisure time enjoyed by this social class, far removed from the labor of making. Likewise, the rods, baskets, and even the act of fishing itself become markers of social status. It’s a far cry from fishing as a means of survival. The meticulous work of the wood engraver is evident in every line, a testament to the skill and labor involved in creating what would have been a mass-produced image. Recognizing this highlights the convergence of craft, labor, and social commentary, blurring the boundaries between art and social history.