Soldier Taking Aim [recto]

1864

Winslow Homer

Associated Names
Winslow Homer

Artist, American, 1836 - 1910

The image is a drawing of a man in full body profile, standing and facing left. He is holding a long rifle to his shoulder, aiming to the left, with his elbows bent and the rifle secured against his right shoulder. The man's facial features and hair are not detailed, but he appears to be wearing a cap. He is dressed in a jacket, pants, and shoes. The setting appears outdoors, indicated by lines on the ground suggesting vegetation or uneven terrain. The background is plain, emphasizing the focus on the man in the foreground.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    black and white chalk over graphite on brown wove paper

  • Credit Line

    John Davis Hatch Collection, Avalon Fund

  • Dimensions

    sheet: 30.9 × 23.7 cm (12 3/16 × 9 5/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1982.4.1.a

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Goodrich/Gerdts 2005, Vol. I, no. 226-R

Associated Artworks

This is a drawing of horse-drawn wagons and figures traversing a landscape. The drawing is done in pencil on a textured surface, featuring horses pulling covered wagons and figures managing them. The background shows more wagons, hinting at a larger group. The lower part of the composition is less detailed, with the main focus on the upper part where the action takes place. The expressive line work conveys movement and rugged terrain.

Skirmish Involving a Wagon Train [verso]

Winslow Homer

1864

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(Charles F. Libbie auction gallery, Boston, 29 May 1878) [?]; Francis G. Shaw, Chatham, MA, by gift, c. 1890; (Maynard Walker Galleries, c. 1935); John Davis Hatch [1907-1996], 1936; acquired 1982 by the National Gallery of Art

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1878

  • Charles F. Libbie, Boston, [auction], [c. 27]-29 May 1878

1953

  • Early Winslow Homer, Covering Twenty-five Years from 1864 to 1889, Maynard Walker Gallery, New York, 19 Oct.-6 Nov. 1953. no. 19

1983

  • Graphics Survey Exhibition, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., September 1983.

1997

  • Winslow Homer and the Civil War: Recent Acquisitions, National Gallery of Art, Washington, Dc, 17 July-21 Sept. 1997.

2005

  • Winslow Homer in the National Gallery of Art, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 2005-2006, unnumbered brochure.

Bibliography

1976

  • Hatch, John Davis. 100 American Drawings: Loan Exhibition from the Collection of John Davis Hatch. London: Heim Gallery, 1976, no. 65.

2005

  • Goodrich, Lloyd, and Abigail Booth Gerdts. Record of Works by Winslow Homer, vol. 1. New York: Spanierman Gallery, 2005, p. 278, no. 226-R.

Wikidata ID

Q64640087

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