WINSLOW HOMER (1836-1910)

 
<div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black><em>Houghton Farms (Girls Strolling in an Orchard)</em> belongs to a pivotal moment in Winslow Homers career, created during the late 1870s as he transitioned from the wartime subjects that first brought him acclaim to the watercolor medium and domestic pastoral themes that would secure his place in the American canon. This period marked Homers sustained engagement with Houghton Farm in Mountainville in the Hudson Valley, where he spent extended time with his childhood friend and patron Lawson Valentine. Over these visits Homer produced approximately fifty watercolors, forming one of the most important bodies of early work in the medium. The significance of this output was later celebrated in the 2009 exhibition at Syracuse Art Galleries, <em>Winslow Homers Empire State: Houghton Farm and Beyond</em>.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>This watercolor is included in the artists catalogue raisonne and relates closely to other early examples from Houghton Farm, including <em>Fresh Air</em> from 1878 in the collection of the Brooklyn Museum. Its serene orchard scene, rendered with a soft and muted palette, reflects the themes of nostalgia, calm, and peace that define Homer's Restoration period. The transparency of the watercolor medium allows Homer to create a delicate, atmospheric impression of a misty morning, animated by touches of bright color in the figures dress patterns, the bow on a hat, a headwrap, and the bluebird perched on a branch.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>The continued importance of Homer's watercolor practice is affirmed by the current exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, <em>Of Light and Air: Winslow Homer in Watercolor</em>, which underscores the enduring resonance of works from this transformative period. <em>Houghton Farms (Girls Strolling in an Orchard)</em> stands as a beautifully preserved example from the moment when Homer embraced watercolor as his primary mode of expression, illuminating the quiet lyricism that came to define his mature art.</font></div> <div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black><em>Houghton Farms (Girls Strolling in an Orchard)</em> belongs to a pivotal moment in Winslow Homers career, created during the late 1870s as he transitioned from the wartime subjects that first brought him acclaim to the watercolor medium and domestic pastoral themes that would secure his place in the American canon. This period marked Homers sustained engagement with Houghton Farm in Mountainville in the Hudson Valley, where he spent extended time with his childhood friend and patron Lawson Valentine. Over these visits Homer produced approximately fifty watercolors, forming one of the most important bodies of early work in the medium. The significance of this output was later celebrated in the 2009 exhibition at Syracuse Art Galleries, <em>Winslow Homers Empire State: Houghton Farm and Beyond</em>.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>This watercolor is included in the artists catalogue raisonne and relates closely to other early examples from Houghton Farm, including <em>Fresh Air</em> from 1878 in the collection of the Brooklyn Museum. Its serene orchard scene, rendered with a soft and muted palette, reflects the themes of nostalgia, calm, and peace that define Homer's Restoration period. The transparency of the watercolor medium allows Homer to create a delicate, atmospheric impression of a misty morning, animated by touches of bright color in the figures dress patterns, the bow on a hat, a headwrap, and the bluebird perched on a branch.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>The continued importance of Homer's watercolor practice is affirmed by the current exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, <em>Of Light and Air: Winslow Homer in Watercolor</em>, which underscores the enduring resonance of works from this transformative period. <em>Houghton Farms (Girls Strolling in an Orchard)</em> stands as a beautifully preserved example from the moment when Homer embraced watercolor as his primary mode of expression, illuminating the quiet lyricism that came to define his mature art.</font></div> <div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black><em>Houghton Farms (Girls Strolling in an Orchard)</em> belongs to a pivotal moment in Winslow Homers career, created during the late 1870s as he transitioned from the wartime subjects that first brought him acclaim to the watercolor medium and domestic pastoral themes that would secure his place in the American canon. This period marked Homers sustained engagement with Houghton Farm in Mountainville in the Hudson Valley, where he spent extended time with his childhood friend and patron Lawson Valentine. Over these visits Homer produced approximately fifty watercolors, forming one of the most important bodies of early work in the medium. The significance of this output was later celebrated in the 2009 exhibition at Syracuse Art Galleries, <em>Winslow Homers Empire State: Houghton Farm and Beyond</em>.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>This watercolor is included in the artists catalogue raisonne and relates closely to other early examples from Houghton Farm, including <em>Fresh Air</em> from 1878 in the collection of the Brooklyn Museum. Its serene orchard scene, rendered with a soft and muted palette, reflects the themes of nostalgia, calm, and peace that define Homer's Restoration period. The transparency of the watercolor medium allows Homer to create a delicate, atmospheric impression of a misty morning, animated by touches of bright color in the figures dress patterns, the bow on a hat, a headwrap, and the bluebird perched on a branch.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>The continued importance of Homer's watercolor practice is affirmed by the current exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, <em>Of Light and Air: Winslow Homer in Watercolor</em>, which underscores the enduring resonance of works from this transformative period. <em>Houghton Farms (Girls Strolling in an Orchard)</em> stands as a beautifully preserved example from the moment when Homer embraced watercolor as his primary mode of expression, illuminating the quiet lyricism that came to define his mature art.</font></div> <div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black><em>Houghton Farms (Girls Strolling in an Orchard)</em> belongs to a pivotal moment in Winslow Homers career, created during the late 1870s as he transitioned from the wartime subjects that first brought him acclaim to the watercolor medium and domestic pastoral themes that would secure his place in the American canon. This period marked Homers sustained engagement with Houghton Farm in Mountainville in the Hudson Valley, where he spent extended time with his childhood friend and patron Lawson Valentine. Over these visits Homer produced approximately fifty watercolors, forming one of the most important bodies of early work in the medium. The significance of this output was later celebrated in the 2009 exhibition at Syracuse Art Galleries, <em>Winslow Homers Empire State: Houghton Farm and Beyond</em>.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>This watercolor is included in the artists catalogue raisonne and relates closely to other early examples from Houghton Farm, including <em>Fresh Air</em> from 1878 in the collection of the Brooklyn Museum. Its serene orchard scene, rendered with a soft and muted palette, reflects the themes of nostalgia, calm, and peace that define Homer's Restoration period. The transparency of the watercolor medium allows Homer to create a delicate, atmospheric impression of a misty morning, animated by touches of bright color in the figures dress patterns, the bow on a hat, a headwrap, and the bluebird perched on a branch.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>The continued importance of Homer's watercolor practice is affirmed by the current exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, <em>Of Light and Air: Winslow Homer in Watercolor</em>, which underscores the enduring resonance of works from this transformative period. <em>Houghton Farms (Girls Strolling in an Orchard)</em> stands as a beautifully preserved example from the moment when Homer embraced watercolor as his primary mode of expression, illuminating the quiet lyricism that came to define his mature art.</font></div> <div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black><em>Houghton Farms (Girls Strolling in an Orchard)</em> belongs to a pivotal moment in Winslow Homers career, created during the late 1870s as he transitioned from the wartime subjects that first brought him acclaim to the watercolor medium and domestic pastoral themes that would secure his place in the American canon. This period marked Homers sustained engagement with Houghton Farm in Mountainville in the Hudson Valley, where he spent extended time with his childhood friend and patron Lawson Valentine. Over these visits Homer produced approximately fifty watercolors, forming one of the most important bodies of early work in the medium. The significance of this output was later celebrated in the 2009 exhibition at Syracuse Art Galleries, <em>Winslow Homers Empire State: Houghton Farm and Beyond</em>.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>This watercolor is included in the artists catalogue raisonne and relates closely to other early examples from Houghton Farm, including <em>Fresh Air</em> from 1878 in the collection of the Brooklyn Museum. Its serene orchard scene, rendered with a soft and muted palette, reflects the themes of nostalgia, calm, and peace that define Homer's Restoration period. The transparency of the watercolor medium allows Homer to create a delicate, atmospheric impression of a misty morning, animated by touches of bright color in the figures dress patterns, the bow on a hat, a headwrap, and the bluebird perched on a branch.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>The continued importance of Homer's watercolor practice is affirmed by the current exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, <em>Of Light and Air: Winslow Homer in Watercolor</em>, which underscores the enduring resonance of works from this transformative period. <em>Houghton Farms (Girls Strolling in an Orchard)</em> stands as a beautifully preserved example from the moment when Homer embraced watercolor as his primary mode of expression, illuminating the quiet lyricism that came to define his mature art.</font></div> <div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black><em>Houghton Farms (Girls Strolling in an Orchard)</em> belongs to a pivotal moment in Winslow Homers career, created during the late 1870s as he transitioned from the wartime subjects that first brought him acclaim to the watercolor medium and domestic pastoral themes that would secure his place in the American canon. This period marked Homers sustained engagement with Houghton Farm in Mountainville in the Hudson Valley, where he spent extended time with his childhood friend and patron Lawson Valentine. Over these visits Homer produced approximately fifty watercolors, forming one of the most important bodies of early work in the medium. The significance of this output was later celebrated in the 2009 exhibition at Syracuse Art Galleries, <em>Winslow Homers Empire State: Houghton Farm and Beyond</em>.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>This watercolor is included in the artists catalogue raisonne and relates closely to other early examples from Houghton Farm, including <em>Fresh Air</em> from 1878 in the collection of the Brooklyn Museum. Its serene orchard scene, rendered with a soft and muted palette, reflects the themes of nostalgia, calm, and peace that define Homer's Restoration period. The transparency of the watercolor medium allows Homer to create a delicate, atmospheric impression of a misty morning, animated by touches of bright color in the figures dress patterns, the bow on a hat, a headwrap, and the bluebird perched on a branch.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>The continued importance of Homer's watercolor practice is affirmed by the current exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, <em>Of Light and Air: Winslow Homer in Watercolor</em>, which underscores the enduring resonance of works from this transformative period. <em>Houghton Farms (Girls Strolling in an Orchard)</em> stands as a beautifully preserved example from the moment when Homer embraced watercolor as his primary mode of expression, illuminating the quiet lyricism that came to define his mature art.</font></div> <div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black><em>Houghton Farms (Girls Strolling in an Orchard)</em> belongs to a pivotal moment in Winslow Homers career, created during the late 1870s as he transitioned from the wartime subjects that first brought him acclaim to the watercolor medium and domestic pastoral themes that would secure his place in the American canon. This period marked Homers sustained engagement with Houghton Farm in Mountainville in the Hudson Valley, where he spent extended time with his childhood friend and patron Lawson Valentine. Over these visits Homer produced approximately fifty watercolors, forming one of the most important bodies of early work in the medium. The significance of this output was later celebrated in the 2009 exhibition at Syracuse Art Galleries, <em>Winslow Homers Empire State: Houghton Farm and Beyond</em>.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>This watercolor is included in the artists catalogue raisonne and relates closely to other early examples from Houghton Farm, including <em>Fresh Air</em> from 1878 in the collection of the Brooklyn Museum. Its serene orchard scene, rendered with a soft and muted palette, reflects the themes of nostalgia, calm, and peace that define Homer's Restoration period. The transparency of the watercolor medium allows Homer to create a delicate, atmospheric impression of a misty morning, animated by touches of bright color in the figures dress patterns, the bow on a hat, a headwrap, and the bluebird perched on a branch.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>The continued importance of Homer's watercolor practice is affirmed by the current exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, <em>Of Light and Air: Winslow Homer in Watercolor</em>, which underscores the enduring resonance of works from this transformative period. <em>Houghton Farms (Girls Strolling in an Orchard)</em> stands as a beautifully preserved example from the moment when Homer embraced watercolor as his primary mode of expression, illuminating the quiet lyricism that came to define his mature art.</font></div> <div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black><em>Houghton Farms (Girls Strolling in an Orchard)</em> belongs to a pivotal moment in Winslow Homers career, created during the late 1870s as he transitioned from the wartime subjects that first brought him acclaim to the watercolor medium and domestic pastoral themes that would secure his place in the American canon. This period marked Homers sustained engagement with Houghton Farm in Mountainville in the Hudson Valley, where he spent extended time with his childhood friend and patron Lawson Valentine. Over these visits Homer produced approximately fifty watercolors, forming one of the most important bodies of early work in the medium. The significance of this output was later celebrated in the 2009 exhibition at Syracuse Art Galleries, <em>Winslow Homers Empire State: Houghton Farm and Beyond</em>.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>This watercolor is included in the artists catalogue raisonne and relates closely to other early examples from Houghton Farm, including <em>Fresh Air</em> from 1878 in the collection of the Brooklyn Museum. Its serene orchard scene, rendered with a soft and muted palette, reflects the themes of nostalgia, calm, and peace that define Homer's Restoration period. The transparency of the watercolor medium allows Homer to create a delicate, atmospheric impression of a misty morning, animated by touches of bright color in the figures dress patterns, the bow on a hat, a headwrap, and the bluebird perched on a branch.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>The continued importance of Homer's watercolor practice is affirmed by the current exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, <em>Of Light and Air: Winslow Homer in Watercolor</em>, which underscores the enduring resonance of works from this transformative period. <em>Houghton Farms (Girls Strolling in an Orchard)</em> stands as a beautifully preserved example from the moment when Homer embraced watercolor as his primary mode of expression, illuminating the quiet lyricism that came to define his mature art.</font></div> <div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black><em>Houghton Farms (Girls Strolling in an Orchard)</em> belongs to a pivotal moment in Winslow Homers career, created during the late 1870s as he transitioned from the wartime subjects that first brought him acclaim to the watercolor medium and domestic pastoral themes that would secure his place in the American canon. This period marked Homers sustained engagement with Houghton Farm in Mountainville in the Hudson Valley, where he spent extended time with his childhood friend and patron Lawson Valentine. Over these visits Homer produced approximately fifty watercolors, forming one of the most important bodies of early work in the medium. The significance of this output was later celebrated in the 2009 exhibition at Syracuse Art Galleries, <em>Winslow Homers Empire State: Houghton Farm and Beyond</em>.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>This watercolor is included in the artists catalogue raisonne and relates closely to other early examples from Houghton Farm, including <em>Fresh Air</em> from 1878 in the collection of the Brooklyn Museum. Its serene orchard scene, rendered with a soft and muted palette, reflects the themes of nostalgia, calm, and peace that define Homer's Restoration period. The transparency of the watercolor medium allows Homer to create a delicate, atmospheric impression of a misty morning, animated by touches of bright color in the figures dress patterns, the bow on a hat, a headwrap, and the bluebird perched on a branch.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>The continued importance of Homer's watercolor practice is affirmed by the current exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, <em>Of Light and Air: Winslow Homer in Watercolor</em>, which underscores the enduring resonance of works from this transformative period. <em>Houghton Farms (Girls Strolling in an Orchard)</em> stands as a beautifully preserved example from the moment when Homer embraced watercolor as his primary mode of expression, illuminating the quiet lyricism that came to define his mature art.</font></div> <div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black><em>Houghton Farms (Girls Strolling in an Orchard)</em> belongs to a pivotal moment in Winslow Homers career, created during the late 1870s as he transitioned from the wartime subjects that first brought him acclaim to the watercolor medium and domestic pastoral themes that would secure his place in the American canon. This period marked Homers sustained engagement with Houghton Farm in Mountainville in the Hudson Valley, where he spent extended time with his childhood friend and patron Lawson Valentine. Over these visits Homer produced approximately fifty watercolors, forming one of the most important bodies of early work in the medium. The significance of this output was later celebrated in the 2009 exhibition at Syracuse Art Galleries, <em>Winslow Homers Empire State: Houghton Farm and Beyond</em>.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>This watercolor is included in the artists catalogue raisonne and relates closely to other early examples from Houghton Farm, including <em>Fresh Air</em> from 1878 in the collection of the Brooklyn Museum. Its serene orchard scene, rendered with a soft and muted palette, reflects the themes of nostalgia, calm, and peace that define Homer's Restoration period. The transparency of the watercolor medium allows Homer to create a delicate, atmospheric impression of a misty morning, animated by touches of bright color in the figures dress patterns, the bow on a hat, a headwrap, and the bluebird perched on a branch.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>The continued importance of Homer's watercolor practice is affirmed by the current exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, <em>Of Light and Air: Winslow Homer in Watercolor</em>, which underscores the enduring resonance of works from this transformative period. <em>Houghton Farms (Girls Strolling in an Orchard)</em> stands as a beautifully preserved example from the moment when Homer embraced watercolor as his primary mode of expression, illuminating the quiet lyricism that came to define his mature art.</font></div>
Houghton Farms (Chicas paseando por un huerto)187924,13 x 33,02 cm(24,13 x 33,02 cm) Acuarela y grafito sobre papel
Procedencia
James H. Dole, Chicago
George S. Dole, Chicago, descendiente del anterior
Sra. George S. Dole, Chicago
John J. Foley, Minneapolis (probablemente yerno de la Sra. George S. Dole)
Kennedy Galleries, Nueva York
Colección privada, Florida
Colección privada, Boston
Colección privada
Literatura
Lloyd Goodrich y Abigail Booth Gerdts, Registro de obras de Winslow Homer, volumen III: 1877 a marzo de 1881, Nueva York, 2005, p. 258, n.º 850 (ilustrado).
Houghton Farms (Girls Strolling in an Orchard) pertenece a un momento crucial en la carrera de Winslow Homer, creado a finales de la década de 1870, cuando pasó de los temas bélicos que le dieron fama a la acuarela y a los temas pastorales domésticos que le asegurarían un lugar en el canon estadounidense. Este periodo marcó el compromiso sostenido de Homer con Houghton Farm en Mountainville, en el valle del Hudson, donde pasó mucho tiempo con su amigo de la infancia y mecenas Lawson Valentine. Durante estas visitas, Homer produjo aproximadamente cincuenta acuarelas, que constituyen uno de los conjuntos más importantes de sus primeras obras en este medio. La importancia de esta producción se celebró posteriormente en la exposición de 2009 en las Galerías de Arte de Siracusa, Winslow Homer's Empire State: Houghton Farm and Beyond.


 


Esta acuarela está incluida en el catálogo razonado del artista y está estrechamente relacionada con otras obras tempranas de Houghton Farm, como Fresh Air, de 1878, que forma parte de la colección del Brooklyn Museum. Su serena escena de huerto, representada con una paleta de colores suaves y apagados, refleja los temas de nostalgia, calma y paz que definen el periodo de restauración de Homer. La transparencia del medio acuarela permite a Homer crear una delicada y atmosférica impresión de una mañana brumosa, animada por toques de colores vivos en los estampados de los vestidos de las figuras, el lazo de un sombrero, un pañuelo en la cabeza y el pájaro azul posado en una rama.


 


La importancia continuada de la práctica de la acuarela de Homer queda confirmada por la actual exposición del Museo de Bellas Artes de Boston, Of Light and Air: Winslow Homer in Watercolor (De luz y aire: Winslow Homer en acuarela), que subraya la resonancia perdurable de las obras de este periodo transformador. Houghton Farms (Girls Strolling in an Orchard) es un ejemplo magníficamente conservado del momento en que Homer adoptó la acuarela como su principal medio de expresión, iluminando el tranquilo lirismo que llegó a definir su arte maduro.
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