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The Surgeon at Work at the Rear During an Engagement (from "Harper's Weekly," Vol. VII)

After Winslow Homer American
Publisher Harper's Weekly American
Publisher Harper & Brothers American
July 12, 1862
Not on view
This wood engraving appeared in the same issue of Harper’s Weekly as "The War for the Union, 1862—A Bayonet Charge," but focuses on intense life-saving work behind the lines instead of the immediacy of battle. Homer spent time with the Army of the Potomac in Virginia during the summer of 1862 and drew his figures from life. Here he describes a small medical staff operating on wounded soldiers who lie on the ground while conflict rages in the distance. The accompanying text notes that Homer “introduces us to the most painful scene on the battle-field. Away in the rear, under the green flag, which is always respected amongst civilized soldiers, the surgeon and his assistants receive the poor wounded soldiers, and swiftly minister to their needs. . . . Of all officers, the surgeon is often the one who requires most nerve and courage.”

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Surgeon at Work at the Rear During an Engagement (from "Harper's Weekly," Vol. VII)
  • Artist: After Winslow Homer (American, Boston, Massachusetts 1836–1910 Prouts Neck, Maine)
  • Publisher: Harper's Weekly (American, 1857–1916)
  • Publisher: Harper & Brothers (American, New York)
  • Date: July 12, 1862
  • Medium: Wood engraving
  • Dimensions: image: 9 1/8 x 13 3/4 in. (23.2 x 34.9 cm)
    sheet: 10 11/16 x 15 3/4 in. (27.2 x 40 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1928
  • Object Number: 29.88.3(2)
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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