Old Mill 1871

Curator: Looking at Winslow Homer’s "Old Mill," painted in 1871, I’m immediately struck by the light. There’s a real drama to the way it carves out the scene. What grabs you? Editor: Well, I’m drawn to the physicality of it all. The textures in the lumber of that mill structure, for starters. You can almost smell the damp wood, feel the rough-hewn planks. Curator: Absolutely. It's interesting how Homer blends a romantic sensibility with such a grounded realism. There's a sense of quiet contemplation but also a directness. The figures, are they on their way to market or church perhaps? Editor: Maybe both? Notice how the woman's attire seems slightly antiquated, and observe the raw materials present here – lumber, textiles, crops inferred in the distance – everything speaks of a tangible connection to the land and the rhythms of labor that structured these rural lives. The romantic view only makes sense if people's material needs are being met. Curator: A beautiful thought. And it ties into something else I find compelling – the way the everyday is elevated. He takes a simple scene of country life, and turns it into something profound. The woman dressed in her bright dress becomes iconic. Editor: Right. Consider the labor that went into just making that dress, think about where its cloth comes from, the type of dye employed to saturate it that wonderful shade of red. Those materials and the resources required to procure them would likely signify much to the average viewer back then. It may hint at their owner's privilege as well as skill with sewing. Curator: Indeed! A quiet painting with whispers of much going on behind the scene, socially and technically. After really considering Homer's decisions here, the painting begins to speak in layers about life lived during this period of history. Editor: Absolutely, a testament to what material culture communicates across time and experience. I would gladly take time for another look!