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Winslow Homer

Hunting Dogs in Boat (Waiting for the Start), 1889

Description

Maker

Title

Hunting Dogs in Boat (Waiting for the Start)

Year

1889

Medium

Watercolor with sponging and scraping over graphite on paper

Materials/Techniques

Materials

Supports

Dimensions

35.6 x 50.8 cm (14 x 20 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Signed:Homer 1889

Type

Credit

Gift of Jesse H. Metcalf

Object Number

94.005

Projects & Publications

Publications

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Landscape and Leisure

March 13 - July 19, 2015

Homer made numerous compositions inspired by the outdoor recreation and scenery surrounding the North Woods Club in the Adirondacks. Dogs, here shown waiting in a boat, were trained to locate deer and drive them into the water where they would eventually tire, and drown.

Homer used multiple layers of russets, browns, and greens to describe the autumn trees, and thinner layers to suggest light reflecting on the boat. A masterful reflection on the water was made by scraping and repainting. He marked the coats of the dogs with wet puddling, and sponged out one figure—probably a person—on the far side of the boat.

Tradition and Innovation in American Watercolors

January 27 - April 11, 1999

One of the most enduring sources of Homer's inspiration was the Adirondack Mountains of New York State. This work is one of many hunt subjects. Five dogs are crowded into a boat, awaiting command or perhaps savoring a rest, presumably from deer hunting. The painting shows Homer's technical skills at full maturity. Using thin washes built to a variety of layers, he sponged and scraped the paper to create the final effect. Note traces of the removal of a sixth dog in the upper left of the boat.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Hunting Dogs in Boat (Waiting for the Start) with the accession number of 94.005. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.