A Perilous Leap 1890

Winslow Homer made this wood engraving called *A Perilous Leap*, sometime in the late 19th century. It pictures a trout leaping out of the water to bite a fisherman's line, which we can just make out in the background. This image comes from a time of accelerating industrialization in the United States, when Americans were anxious about the impact of modernization on the natural world. We can think of it as part of a broader cultural interest in leisure activities in unspoiled natural environments, often framed as a form of manly self-reliance. Homer made many paintings and prints of fishing and hunting scenes and similar themes became widely popular in the magazines of the time. When we understand the cultural and social background of this image, we can appreciate how it speaks to the public role of art in reflecting anxieties about the changing conditions of modern life. Art history can help us understand the context around the creation of artworks like this and the social structures of its time.