American painter Winslow Homer was born in Boston, Massachusetts on February 24, 1836.
He is considered one of the most influential artists in 19th century America.
Mostly self-taught, Winslow Homer is most recognized for his realistic renderings in oils and watercolor.
His subjects were largely nautical scenes and landscapes depicting country and rural life.
He drew his inspiration for his works from his life in the United States (New York's Adirondack Mountain region and Maine); and his travels to England's desolate coast bordering the village of Cullercoats.
To add balance to the rugged coastal scenes he painted, Homer also traveled to tropical areas of the Caribbean where contrasting artistic expressions emerged.
Wherever his artistic travels took him, Homer always considered coastal Prouts Neck, Maine his home.
Many of his brilliant seascapes were painted along the rugged coast of Maine.
Skilled in the capture of light upon his subject matter, two watercolors are among his works which display his unique gift for creating paintings bathed in light.
Among them, "On The Trail", a brilliant watercolor showing a hunter and his dogs walking through a blaze of trees in an autumn forest.
The other is the sweet, visually appealing "Girl on a Swing" which captures forever a peaceful, carefree moment of childhood.
Winslow Homer created a body of work that critics have described as both thoughtful and innovative.
He excelled both as an illustrator and a painter.
One might guess that the artist had hoped that the visual impact of his paintings would easily convey a message to the viewer.
When asked for an explanation of his painting entitled "The Gulf Stream, the artist replied: "I regret very much that I have painted a picture that requires any description.
" His works continue to embrace aesthetic beauty which ensures his place as a preeminent figure in the world of art.
His depictions of the Civil War battle scenes ensure also that his keen eye and talent will assist in the retelling the story of the Civil Wars throughout the annals of history.
A few of his most famous works include "The Fox Hunt", "Undertow", and "Breezing Up.
" His works depict a full range of emotions--from quiet pastoral scenes to ravages done to land by an angry sea.
Winslow Homer's art career began as a freelance apprentice to a commercial illustrator in 1855.
His early assignments focused mainly on the creation of line drawings from photographs.
By 1859, Homer opened a studio in New York where soon he began work for "Harper's Weekly.
" It was while at Harper's that Winslow Homer gained notoriety for his illustrations of front-line battle scenes of the American Civil War.
Most of these prints and wood engravings depicting war's brutality were published by Harper's between 1861 and 1873.
Biographer William How Downs wrote this about the artist in 1911, "The life of Winslow Homer, as revealed in his works, is a study worthy of the historian and the critic..
..
no American painter (is) so thoroughly national in style and character.
" Winslow Homer's advice to a contemporary--which became his motto--was simple and direct: "Look at nature, work independently, and solve your own problems.
" His own work achieved this spirit.
Homer studied nature intently and created art his way.
He indeed achieved much acclaim in the art world and beyond in following his own advice.
In his final years, the artist became more reclusive, withdrawing from the world.
And as many other artists have also experienced, Homer's commercial success and notice did little to insure his financial security.