Gloucester Harbor

Gloucester Harbor is a significant print by Winslow Homer (American, 1836-1910), created in 1873. This work exemplifies the artist's prolific period documenting American life following the Civil War. Executed as a wood engraving on buff wove paper, the image was originally published for a wide audience by the influential illustrated magazine Harper's Weekly.

The piece captures the busy, gritty maritime atmosphere of a New England port. Homer utilized the high-contrast lines inherent to the wood engraving technique to render the intricate details of docked ships, dense rigging, and the constant activity of the harbor workers. During this transitional era, Homer frequently turned to coastal themes, portraying the robust relationship between Americans and the sea and documenting the labor and vernacular architecture of the region.

As a key example of nineteenth-century American illustration, the work provides valuable insight into the visual culture of the United States. Homer's detailed observations, disseminated through widely distributed publications like Harper's Weekly, established him as one of the country's foremost documentarians. This original impression of the print is held in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Because of its age and institutional holding, high-quality images of this historic work are often available for study and are considered to be in the public domain.