Three Blind Mice 1871

Winslow Homer created this illustrated sheet music of “Three Blind Mice” for the magazine *Hearth and Home* in 1871. It was a period of Reconstruction in the United States, yet also a time when racial and class tensions were palpable in the North. This seemingly innocent nursery rhyme takes on a darker tone when considered against this backdrop. Homer was celebrated for his illustrations depicting rural life, yet the choice of this rhyme—with its themes of blindness and violence—may reflect societal anxieties of the time. The mice, symbols of vulnerability, are pursued by a menacing cat. Their disabilities render them helpless. The lyrics suggest a brutal act of violence, “She cut off their tails with a carving knife.” It’s a stark contrast to the image of hearth and home it accompanies. It is important to consider if Homer is using the nursery rhyme as a commentary on power dynamics, casting those without sight as victims of a cruel, seeing oppressor.