Art Institute of Chicago

Breaking Storm, Coast of Maine

Winslow Homer

Date

1894

Medium

Transparent watercolor, with touches of opaque watercolor, rewetting, blotting and traces of scraping, on thick, rough-textured, ivory wove paper

Culture

United States

Department

Prints and Drawings

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

Breaking Storm, Coast of Maine is a study of bands of juxtaposed color constructed along a strong horizon line, emphasized by a thick, dark line. Despite Homer’s indication of impending bad weather moving in from the horizon, this watercolor focuses on a moment of calm before the storm. The water’s turquoise surface is smooth and tranquil, achieved by pure, transparent washes. The artist’s loose, abstract handling of the rugged shore in the foreground calls attention to the sheer beauty of his brushstrokes. Homer conjured the effect of land, sea, and sky seen through a veil of rain and humidity by painting wet-on-wet. In this manner, the artist introduced a new wash into one that is still wet, allowing colors to run and blend without solid boundaries. Evidence indicates that Homer learned the practice from studying Japanese ink paintings and began to employ it extensively beginning in 1889.

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