Winslow Homer "The Water Fan"

From: The Art Institute of Chicago
Limited Edition: 22
Exhibition: The Color of Light: Watercolors by Winslow Homer
Material: Printed vinyl
Dimensions: 30" x 99" (76cm x 251cm)

Hanging Hardware Included

Summary

American artist Winslow Homer (1836-1910) is renowned for his realist oil paintings that capture the inherent tension between man and nature. But his watercolors mark some of his greatest artistic accomplishments. His work "The Water Fan", painted during his time in the Caribbean, is a study in light and tonality. The blues of the water are offset by the crisp white shirt of the fisherman against his dark skin. A touch of color jumps from the piece of coral at the front of the boat, this coral is what gives the work its title. 22 banners are available featuring this work by Homer - truly one of the most beautifully painted watercolor renditions of water ever painted.

Description

While American painter Winslow Homer is not technically an Impressionist, his work is somewhat pre-Impressionistic, and he is considered a part of the American Barbizon School. These artists, including Thomas Eakins, George Inness, and Henry O. Tanner, painted a new form of American landscape, expressing the tension between man and nature, and drawing inspiration from the French Barbizon School artists.

Homer’s use of light and form heralded a more modern aesthetic. His works were unlike others of his time, and many appreciated the very things that today are still admired about Homer’s work. He had the ability to translate his love of the American landscape into beautiful art, and his unique vision still feels fresh today, particularly his watercolors.

His 1898-99 work The Water Fan is perhaps one of his most impressive accomplishments as a watercolorist. Painted during his time in the Caribbean, the work is a study in light and tonality. The blues of the water are offset by the crisp white shirt of the fisherman against his dark skin. The water is at once translucent and opaque, abstract and real, still and scintillating. It is the watercolor medium that allows him to achieve these results and give a freshness and immediacy to the scene.

Below the image a white band contains the museum’s name and exhibition dates in black print “The Art Institute of Chicago/February 16 – May 10”. The other side of the banner is white with green and ombré orange lettering that reads “Watercolors by Winslow Homer/The Color of Light/American Perspectives”. Small blue print at the bottom reads “Terra Foundation for American Art”.

Provenance

These banners were displayed around Chicago from February 16 to May 10, 2008 to promote the exhibition, The Color of Light: Watercolors by Winslow Homer at the Art Insitiute of Chicago.