Boat Builders (painting)
Encyclopedia
The Boat Builders is an oil painting
on panel
by American
landscape painter Winslow Homer
, which is held in the collection of the Indianapolis Museum of Art
(IMA), in Indianapolis, Indiana
, United States
.
boats. They both wear wide brimmed hats
, which shield their faces from the viewer. A blue sky in the background resides over the ocean, where a number of boats pass by the shore. The painting is on a mahogany
panel and is signed on the lower left: HOMER/1873; in 1969 the date was no longer visible on the painting.
, which is where he painted The Boat Builders, as well as other works in his series of drawings and paintings about shipbuilding
. The connection of the boys toy boats and the sailing ship was sought to intertwine the imagination of the boys' with the real life experience of fishermen. It is believed that the boys' hobby suggests their future role in the ship, sea and fishing industry.
the painting appeared as an engraving
.
The artwork was acquired with funds from the Martha Delzell Memorial Fund. The Boat Builders is currently on location at the IMA's Paine Turn of the Century American Art Gallery.
Oil painting
Oil painting is the process of painting with pigments that are bound with a medium of drying oil—especially in early modern Europe, linseed oil. Often an oil such as linseed was boiled with a resin such as pine resin or even frankincense; these were called 'varnishes' and were prized for their body...
on panel
Panel painting
A panel painting is a painting made on a flat panel made of wood, either a single piece, or a number of pieces joined together. Until canvas became the more popular support medium in the 16th century, it was the normal form of support for a painting not on a wall or vellum, which was used for...
by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
landscape painter Winslow Homer
Winslow Homer
Winslow Homer was an American landscape painter and printmaker, best known for his marine subjects. He is considered one of the foremost painters in 19th century America and a preeminent figure in American art....
, which is held in the collection of the Indianapolis Museum of Art
Indianapolis Museum of Art
The Indianapolis Museum of Art is an encyclopedic art museum located in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The museum, which underwent a $74 million expansion in 2005, is located on a campus on the near northwest area outside downtown Indianapolis, northwest of Crown Hill Cemetery.The...
(IMA), in Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Description
The Boat Builders depicts two young boys sitting on a rocky shoreline working on building toyToy
A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old...
boats. They both wear wide brimmed hats
Hat
A hat is a head covering. It can be worn for protection against the elements, for ceremonial or religious reasons, for safety, or as a fashion accessory. In the past, hats were an indicator of social status...
, which shield their faces from the viewer. A blue sky in the background resides over the ocean, where a number of boats pass by the shore. The painting is on a mahogany
Mahogany
The name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany....
panel and is signed on the lower left: HOMER/1873; in 1969 the date was no longer visible on the painting.
Context
In 1873 Homer spent his summer in Gloucester, MassachusettsGloucester, Massachusetts
Gloucester is a city on Cape Ann in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is part of Massachusetts' North Shore. The population was 28,789 at the 2010 U.S. Census...
, which is where he painted The Boat Builders, as well as other works in his series of drawings and paintings about shipbuilding
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...
. The connection of the boys toy boats and the sailing ship was sought to intertwine the imagination of the boys' with the real life experience of fishermen. It is believed that the boys' hobby suggests their future role in the ship, sea and fishing industry.
Ownership and exhibition history
In the October 11, 1873 issue of Harper's WeeklyHarper's Weekly
Harper's Weekly was an American political magazine based in New York City. Published by Harper & Brothers from 1857 until 1916, it featured foreign and domestic news, fiction, essays on many subjects, and humor...
the painting appeared as an engraving
Engraving
Engraving is the practice of incising a design on to a hard, usually flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing...
.
The artwork was acquired with funds from the Martha Delzell Memorial Fund. The Boat Builders is currently on location at the IMA's Paine Turn of the Century American Art Gallery.
See also
Other works by Winslow Homer include:- Breezing Up (A Fair Wind)Breezing Up (A Fair Wind)Breezing Up is an oil painting by American artist Winslow Homer. It depicts a catboat called the Gloucester chopping through that city's harbor under "a fair wind"...
- Eight BellsEight BellsEight Bells is an 1886 oil painting by the American artist Winslow Homer. It depicts two sailors determining their boat's position. It is one of Homer's best known paintings, and the last of his major paintings of the 1880s that dramatically chronicles man's relationship to the ocean.Eight Bells...
Further reading
- Cikovsky Jr., Nicolai and Franklin Kelly. Winslow Homer, New Haven: Yale University Press, 1995. ISBN 0300065558
- Day, Holliday T. Indianapolis Museum of Art Collections Handbook, Indianapolis: Indianapolis Museum of Art, 1988. ISBN 0936260203
- Gerdts, Abigail Booth and Lloyd Goodrich. Winslow Homer in Monochrome, New York: Knoedler & Company, 1986.
- Goodrich, Lloyd. Winslow Homer, New York: New York Graphic Society, 1974. ISBN 978-0821205273
- Griffin, Randall C. Winslow Homer: An American Vision, London: Phaidon Press, 2006. ISBN 978-0714839929