Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History



  • Snap the Whip, 1872
    Winslow Homer (American, 1836–1910)
    Oil on canvas

    12 x 20 in. (30.5 x 50.8 cm)
    Gift of Christian A. Zabriskie, 1950 (50.41)

    Children embodied innocence and the promise of America's future and were depicted by many artists and writers during the 1870s. Here Homer reminisces about rural simplicity and reflects on the challenges of the complex post–Civil War world. Released from the confines of a one-room schoolhouse, exuberant boys engage in a spirited game. As the population shifted to cities and the little red schoolhouse faded from memory, this image would have evoked nostalgia for the nation's agrarian past. The boys' bare feet signal childhood's freedom but their suspenders are associated with manhood's responsibilities. Their game, which requires teamwork, strength, and calculation, may allude to the reunited nation. Observed from right to left, Homer's boys hang on to one another, strain to stay connected, run in perfect harmony, and fall away, enacting all the possible scenarios for men after the Civil War.

    Related

    Index Terms

    Artist

    Material and Technique

    Subject Matter/Theme

    Artist Biography

    Technical Glossary


    On view: Gallery 763
    MoveSeparatorPrint
    Close
  • Snap the Whip, 1872
    Winslow Homer (American, 1836–1910)
    Oil on canvas

    12 x 20 in. (30.5 x 50.8 cm)
    Gift of Christian A. Zabriskie, 1950 (50.41)


    Move
    Close
    fullMultimediaText