Winslow Homer—American Illustrator
June 3–September 3, 2006

SAN DIEGO—This summer, SDMA is presenting for the very first time its collection of 55 wood engravings by Winslow Homer (1836-1910), who is widely regarded as one of America's keenest observers of daily life. As part of its 80th Anniversary celebration, Winslow Homer—American Illustrator will be on view from June 3 to September 3, 2006.

All of the wood engravings presented in the exhibition were gifts made to SDMA in 2001 through the bequest of Myra Gentner. This representative survey—Homer created 220 total illustrations during his lifetime—spans Homer's career, beginning with Husking the Corn in New England, which was published in the newly emerging popular magazine Harper's Weekly in November 1858. It concludes with Camping Out in the Adirondack Mountains, one of his final illustrations, which appeared in Harper's in November 1874.

SDMA's collection includes some of Homer's most enduring images, including The Army of the Potomac—A Sharpshooter on Picket Duty (1862), Homeward Bound (1867), The Summit of Mount Washington (1869), and Snap-the-Whip (1873). The engravings on display represent many of the finest works Homer produced in the print medium. Many of the subjects were also explored in oil or watercolor and rank among the iconic images associated with Winslow Homer.

Homer's first illustration appeared on June 13, 1857, in Ballou's Pictorial, a Boston periodical that provided a pictorial record of the picturesque sites and events in his hometown. Later that summer, the newly established Harper's Weekly of New York commissioned five images from Homer to appear in their August 1 issue. In the fall of 1859, about the time that Ballou's was ceasing its publication, Homer moved to New York where he freelanced for Harper's for the next sixteen years.

Although he is counted high on the list of preeminent painters working in the United States during the last half of the 19th century, Winslow Homer spent the first eight years of his professional career, beginning at age 19, working as a graphic artist. His first commissions were for drawings to be transformed into illustrations for the popular magazines that were emerging during this period. Over the years he created many lasting images that encapsulated American life at the end of the 19th century.

Museum Information

San Diego Museum of Art
1450 El Prado, Balboa Park
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 122107
San Diego, CA 92112-2107
General Information: (619) 232-7931 / Facsimile: (619) 232-9367
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Web site: www.sdmart.org

Museum Hours: Tuesday-Wednesday, Friday-Sunday: 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.; Thursday: 10:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.

Admission Prices: Adult $10; Senior (65+) and Military with ID $8; Student $7; Youth (6-17) $4. Children 5 and under are free. (Specially priced tickets may be required for certain exhibitions. Please contact the Museum for more information.)

The historic San Diego Museum of Art provides a rich and diverse cultural experience for more than 400,000 annual visitors. Its nationally renowned permanent collection includes Spanish and Italian old masters, South Asian paintings, 19 th - and 20 th -century American paintings and sculptures, and works by contemporary artists. The Museum also offers an extensive year-round schedule of supporting educational and cultural programs.

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