Humans Humbled by Water: Homer’s Reflection on Post Civil War America

Winslow Homer, born in Boston, 1836, entered the scene in a tumultuous and tense time. With political and racial tensions culminating in the American Civil War in 1861. Although Homer did not participate in actual combat, he accompanied troops on military assignments as an illustrator for the Harper's Weekly Illustrated, which provided firsthand information on the war and other current events. Using his skills as a lithographer, Homer created many illustrations of war on the front lines; these scenes brutally depicted the gritty violence and drama of the Civil War. During this time, Homer suffered many of the same things the soldiers did, such as lack of food, clothing, proper hygiene. Upon returning from his time illustrating war scenes, his friends and family experienced a notably different post-war version of Homer. In his artistic career that followed, although Homer chose to continue involving political and social themes in his work, he mainly focused on painting and drawing humans primarily interacting with nature rather than with each other. In specific, the relationship between people and water fascinated Homer, as he explored themes such as the overpowering wildness and strength of rivers and oceans, the loneliness of fishermen, and the danger of storms. Through these marine-themed paintings, Homer communicated different aspects and experiences of the American and minorities he witnessed in this post-war period.

Winslow Homer, Shooting the Rapids, Saguenay River, 1905-1910, oil on canvas with chalk, 11.57

One of Homer's last paintings, left unfinished in his studio, we catch a sense of gripping fear as the terrified men careen down the river. The Saguenay River is located in remote Quebec, and the figure in the middle of the boat is assumed to be Charles, Homer's brother, who accompanied him on many of his fishing excursions. Homer encapsulates the fleetingness and fragility of human life in contrast to the daring and courage of humanity. Post Civil War America found itself in this tension as the fragility of human life felt pertinent (Lincoln had just been assassinated in 1865), but the work of reconstruction was just beginning.

Winslow Homer, The Signal of Distress, 1890 - 1896, oil on canvas, Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid, 588 (1980.71)

 

We join the members of the crew in watching two sailors prepare a lifeboat to rescue survivors of a sinking vessel. Having made several studies beforehand and reworking the actual painting over several year, Homer finally achieved a scene that conveys extreme distress and peril but from a perspective of hope. Joining the crew of onlookers, we join in the fervent hope that the rescue mission will be successful. In the context of the Reconstruction, these feelings were frequently expressed in the process.

Winslow Homer, The Gulf Stream, 1899, reworked by 1906, oil on canvas, 06.1234

The Gulf Stream, a warm ocean current that flows up the east coast and branches out towards the British Isles, confronts us with another danger at sea. The lone figure in the boat faces several perils: the hungry looking sharks around him, extremely choppy waves, and the water spout nearby. A small silhouette of a ship nearly disappears over the horizon, as if hope of rescue has been lost. Because of the conversation about race and slavery, many who view this painting have assume that Homer is making a political or racial statement. However, although we know Homer was interested in these themes, what he's written about The Gulf Stream seems as if he was more interested saying something about the environmental and natural state of the ocean.

Winslow Homer, The Fog Warning, 1885, oil on canvas, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, 94.72

A comparison between The Fog Warning and The Gulf Stream provides many similarities. a small boat and lone man look out towards a brewing storm as a ship on the horizon nearly disappears. Homer distances the fisherman in The Fog Warning from the ship, which increases the danger of this fisherman becoming lost alone at sea in the fog. The drama of the fisherman fighting nature alone runs parallel to the individualism growing in America during this time.

Winslow Homer, The Life Line, 1884, oil on canvas, Philadelphia Art Museum, E1924-4-15

Homer's American girl showed up frequently in his paintings. A pretty, middle-class, fair-skinned, yet non-descript girl whom he placed in diverse outdoor, distinctly American scenes. In this painting, Homer combines his American girl trope with a connection to his audiences' visual archive of romantic tales of women drowned or nearly drowned by the sea. During the 1800s, the immanent danger of the ocean always loomed near as trading, traveling, and war were all supported by seafaring. By depicting "the weaker sex" as victim of the water, Homer emphasized the power and threat that seafaring posed.

Winslow Homer, After the Hurricane, Bahamas, 1899, Transparent watercolor, with touches of opaque watercolor, rewetting, blotting and scraping, over graphite, on moderately thick, moderately textured (twill texture on verso), ivory wove paper, The Art Institute of Chicago, 1933.1235

Homer traveled to the Bahamas several times, fascinated with the ever vacillating weather. Working primarily in watercolors, we have many scenes of life on the islands, including this dramatic and sad scene of a man who barely survived the storm. Here, Homer once again emphasizes the loneliness and merciless destruction that the sea impresses upon humans. Interestingly, Homer visited the Bahamas at the very dawn of its shift towards tourism, during a time when formerly black slaves were struggling for rights from the white elites. In addition, the Bahamas were pushing for self-governance and freedom from Britain.

Winslow Homer, Undertow, 1886, oil on canvas, The Clark Museum A1955.4

Homer personally witnessed dramatic events like this rescue, which inspired his dramatic paintings. In this scene, Homer once again presents us with the American girl being rescued by strong men from the near death by drowning. The women have been dragged down by their heavy bathing suits. The rescuers have placed the women on a sort of wooden raft in order to float and drag the women back to safety. While Homer based this painting on real-life models during his time, he also studied antique Greek sculpture in the British Museum, which greatly influenced this work. Homer meshes post Civil War America with Grecian sculpture, creating a tie between the two ages.

References:

Provost, Paul Raymond. “Winslow Homer’s ‘The Fog Warning:’ The Fisherman as Heroic Character.” American Art Journal, vol. 22, no. 1, 1990, pp. 21–27. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/1594554. Accessed 5 Dec. 2025.

Wood, Peter H., and Winslow Homer. Weathering the Storm: Inside Winslow Homer’s Gulf Stream. University of Georgia Press, 2004.