"Allow Me to Examine the Young Lady"

"Allow Me to Examine the Young Lady," created by Winslow Homer in 1860, is an important example of nineteenth-century American illustration and printmaking. This work is a wood engraving, a versatile and high-volume medium essential for the reproduction of images in popular periodicals and newspapers throughout the United States during the period leading up to the Civil War. Homer, who would later achieve international renown as one of America’s most revered painters, began his career developing the technical skill required of a commercial illustrator.

The 1860s marked a pivotal time for visual mass media, and Homer’s extensive involvement as a freelance artist provided him with crucial skills in composition, narrative, and dramatic visual language necessary for his subsequent fine art practice. The illustration, titled Allow Me to Examine the Young Lady, suggests a potentially humorous or observational social scene, characteristic of the domestic and topical subjects frequently addressed in illustrated weekly magazines. It showcases Homer’s early mastery of line and high-contrast rendering, essential elements for creating effective commercial prints.

As a significant representation of Homer’s foundational period, this piece offers insight into the visual culture and publishing industry of the United States just prior to the onset of the conflict that would define much of his later work. The original print is classified within the Cleveland Museum of Art's collection. Because of the age and commercial origin of these early Homer illustrations, many prints from this extensive output are now widely accessible as public domain resources, allowing scholars and enthusiasts worldwide to study the artist’s formative years.