Winslow Homer (1836-1910) has often been called America’s favorite painter. Like his contemporaries Mark Twain and Walt Whitman, Homer captured the landscape of a rapidly changing country with an artist’s probing insight. His tale is one of America in all its complexity and contradiction, as he evolved and adapted to the restless spirit of invention transforming his world. In a new biography, Winslow Homer: American Passage, William R. Cross unveils Homer’s surprising role in American culture. Homer was witness both to the rhythms of sea, storm, tide, and season as well as the US Civil War, colonial tyranny, industrialization, and the challenge of achieving a just and equitable society. In an illustrated presentation, Cross reveals the man behind the art and the unpredictable story of a life led on the front lines of history. Copies of Winslow Homer: American Passage will be available for purchase and signing. This program is presented in partnership with Smithsonian Associates. Tickets are required. William R. Cross is an independent scholar and a consultant to art and history museums.
Image courtesy the author.
This program is made possible in part by Mary Anne Goley. |