Bathing at Long Branch—"Oh, Ain't it Cold"

Winslow Homer’s wood engraving on paper, "Bathing at Long Branch—Oh, Ain’t it Cold," captures a popular leisure scene from the Reconstruction era. Created in 1871, this work was originally published in the American illustrated literary magazine Every Saturday. As a print, the medium of wood engraving was crucial for mass communication in the late 19th century, allowing images like this one, documenting seaside resorts, to reach a broad audience across the United States.

Prior to focusing exclusively on painting, Homer established his reputation primarily as an illustrator for influential periodicals. This background informed his keen eye for genre scenes and contemporary social behavior, avoiding the sentimentality common in Victorian-era art. Long Branch, New Jersey, was a fashionable resort destination at the time, and this depiction focuses on the relatable discomfort and humorous aspect of entering the cold ocean water, a theme suggested by the subtitle. The composition shows figures huddled and reacting to the low temperature rather than idealized bathing forms.

The print serves as a valuable record of American social history and the illustration techniques of the period. Homer captured the fleeting moment of discomfort with documentary accuracy, solidifying his reputation as a penetrating observer of modern life. This specific impression is held in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, contributing to the institution’s significant holdings of 19th-century American prints. As an historical image, high-quality versions of this work are often available through public domain archives.