Campaign Sketches: Foraging 1863

"Campaign Sketches: Foraging" is a wood engraving created by Winslow Homer in 1863. The scene depicts Union soldiers during the American Civil War, struggling to control a cow they have captured. The humorous and anecdotal depiction of soldiers foraging for food reflects Homer's use of realism to portray the everyday realities of war. This work is part of a series of illustrations Homer created for *Harper's Weekly*, capturing the events of the Civil War with immediacy and authenticity. The Art Institute of Chicago houses this significant piece of American art history.