Author Description

Recent art histories cast Homer (1836-1910) as the quintessential American artist. This catalog, which accompanies a loan exhibition, explores two highly productive points in Homer's career. Homer spent the summers of 1873 and 1880 at this Massachusetts seaside retreat. His subject matter during both visits focused on children at play and work, but his sketches and watercolors were rendered in distinctly different styles. Homer's fascination with childhood has been linked to a nationwide yearning for lost innocence during the post-Civil War period. While the excellent essays are aimed at scholars, the handsome color plates will attract a broader audience.