Description
Campfire, Adirondacks, 1892 This reproduction is a new, individually printed & proofed, superior quality, giclee process, fine art print. It is printed on 100% cotton rag acid-free, heavyweight fine art paper with a luxurious textured watercolor paper finish & archival pigment inks to ensure permanence. Image Size: 17 x 11.9 inches printed on 19 x 13 inch paper to allow ample room for matting & framing Winslow Homer (1836 - 1910) was considered the most intensely American painter of his time. Best known for his marine subjects, he is considered one of the foremost painters in 19th century America & a preeminent figure in American art. Campfire, Adirondacks, 1892 in Campfire, Adirondacks, the guide Rufus Wallace is seated among the sheltering roots of a giant overturned hemlock. The tree's roots are expressive formal elements in their own right, but these ancient tentacles also seem to protect the resting man. Like many of Homer's Adirondacks watercolors, Campfire, Adirondacks was conceived on the spot, with washes laid in to suggest areas of light & shadow, but the artist probably finished the work back in his studio in Maine or at the North Woods Club. Conveying a convincing sense of immediacy & spontaneity, Homer's watercolors were often the result of deliberate planning & several campaigns of painting. Sometimes ephemeral effects were difficult to recapture in the studio, as in the smoke of the campfire where color was applied & blotted repeatedly. Visual evidence indicates that Homer used resist to define the crooked tree trunks on the lefthand side of the composition. Without this tool, it would have been impossible to achieve the intricate contours of the trunks while simultaneously applying an even wash to the surroundings. Over a preliminary gray wash, Homer, following his graphite underdrawing, would have brushed on the resist in the shape of the tree trunks. Even before it dried, it would form a strong, cohesive film on the paper's surface without soaking into the fibers; because oil repels water, it would have remained undisturbed while Homer brushed dark-blue wash across it & the neighboring area. Once the wash dried, he would have scrubbed off the resist with a dull scraper or stiff brush & a solvent such as turpentine. Homer's vigorous cleaning may have broken up the resist, scattering tiny fragments that became lodged in slow-drying, dense, or gum-rich passages of watercolor elsewhere on the sheet. When he was finished, the forms of the trunks were visible against the blue background. Largely self-taught, Homer began his career working as a commercial illustrator. He subsequently took up oil painting & produced major studio works characterized by the weight & density he exploited from the medium. He also worked extensively in watercolor, creating a fluid & prolific oeuvre, primarily chronicling his working vacations in New England & the tropics. This large print is ready for framing & will be a beautiful attraction for any room in
