Though Winslow Homer was not a native Mainer, he spent over a quarter of a century of his seventy-four year life living on the rugged rock-bound coast of Scarborough, Maine. The legend of Homer portrays him as fiercely independent, resentful of intrusion, hard-working, and unfriendly-totally in-character for the traditional Yankee Mainer. His quiet, rural, secluded life--devoted to his art--is the envy of many budding and professional artists.
Because he spent so much of his life in Maine, and because the subject of the majority of his artistic works were Maine people and seascapes, he is considered to be significant in Maine history. Therefore, this article will focus on his life and works, as if he was a Maine-born resident of the State.
Homer was born in Boston, Massachusetts on February 24, 1836. He was the son of Charles and Henrietta Homer. Charles sold hardware and Henrietta was a painter, who was originally from Bucksport, Maine. It is believed that Homer had encouragement and support from both of his parents to pursue his art. His father was responsible for arranging for his son's first job as a professional artist. Homer was an apprentice with a lithographer in Boston when he was nineteen years old, where he did illustrations for the covers of sheet music. After a two-year apprenticeship, Homer became a freelance artist, frequently working for Harper's Weekly.
Homer moved to New York in 1859 to pursue a career in art. He continued freelancing, and took classes at the National Academy of Design. Homer's work for Harper's Weekly was primarily drawings of life around the city, things Homer observed in his day-to-day life. Then, when the Civil War started, the magazine sent him off with the Union Army as an artist correspondent. Homer had talent, could sketch quickly and accurately. The images from the war inspired much of Homer's work of that period, like his painting Prisoners from the Front, which was an oil painting. But still, the work he did for Harper's was just a job. It was not the kind of art that Homer wanted to be doing, not the kind of art that mattered to him.
After the war ended, Homer traveled to Europe. He lived in Paris for awhile, painting scenes he encountered there. Following his sabbatical to Europe, Homer returned to New York. His art of this period was primarily of wealthier Americans, like himself, who were enjoying themselves on the Hamptons or in the Adirondacks, sailing, picnicking, and courting. Homer had not yet encountered the rocky coastlines or rugged, working people who would become the subjects of some of his most famous paintings.
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