A Winter Morning, - Shovelling Out

A Winter Morning, - Shovelling Out by Winslow Homer, created in 1871, is a significant example of American graphic arts produced during the post-Civil War Reconstruction era. This piece is executed as a wood engraving, a popular and powerful medium for mass reproduction in the United States in the late 19th century. Homer, already renowned for his masterful illustrations of wartime and rural American life, frequently employed this print technique while contributing to widely circulated national publications.

The work captures a common, yet physically demanding, scene of daily domestic life: the arduous task of clearing snow in the depth of winter. Although simple in subject, the composition demonstrates Homer's technical skill in utilizing the strong black-and-white contrasts afforded by the wood engraving medium. The density of the engraved lines creates texture in the snowdrifts and foreground, emphasizing the cold and the difficulty of the labor involved. This focus on mundane, often strenuous tasks exemplifies the shift toward genuine American realism that characterized the artist’s output during this period, documenting the everyday struggles and conditions of life away from urban centers.

As an important historical and artistic example of 19th-century American prints, the artwork is maintained in the permanent collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Because of its age and historical importance, reproductions of this specific wood engraving, A Winter Morning, - Shovelling Out, are frequently available within public domain resources, allowing broader access to Homer’s influential artistic documentation of the era.