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Winslow Homer (artist) American, 1836 - 1910 Sketch for "Hound and Hunter", 1892 watercolor overall: 35.4 x 50.7 cm (13 15/16 x 19 15/16 in.) Gift of Ruth K. Henschel in memory of her husband, Charles R. Henschel 1975.92.7 |
Object 4 of 15
Another watercolor in Homer’s series on hounding, Sketch for “Hound and Hunter” shows a young hunter lying in a guideboat, tightly holding a noose in one hand and a dead deer in the other. His attention is centered on the dog swimming toward him. After having killed the deer, the boy’s first task is to secure it and then either haul it into the boat or tow it ashore. At the same time, the dog must be lifted into the boat. However, it is not certain that Homer's subject will be able to accomplish either task on his own.
The self-assurance of man in relation to nature that characterizes many of Homer’s watercolors from this period is notably absent from this work. Instead, the youth of the hunter coupled with the instability of his position in the boat communicate uncertainty and, in a larger sense, represent the precarious outlook of those who have little knowledge and respect for nature.
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