High Tide (from "Every Saturday," Vol. I, New Series)

High Tide (from "Every Saturday," Vol. I, New Series) by Winslow Homer, created in 1870, is a masterful example of American graphic illustration. Executed as a wood engraving, the piece was originally disseminated through the popular illustrated weekly magazine Every Saturday, highlighting the importance of prints in shaping American visual culture during the 19th century.

This detailed work captures a scene of leisure typical of the era, focusing specifically on women gathering along a windswept beach at the water’s edge. Homer skillfully uses the demanding technique of wood engraving to render the contrasting textures of the rippling ocean and the heavy folds of the subjects' attire. The atmosphere is quiet and contemplative, portraying the increasing popularity of seaside recreation among middle-class Americans following the Civil War.

The sharpness and clarity of the composition reveal Homer’s extensive experience as a magazine illustrator before he shifted his primary focus to oil painting. Works like this demonstrate the artist's early commitment to realism and his ability to convey narrative through precise figure placement and atmospheric detail. This important piece of graphic art, which documents changing social customs and the evolving role of women in public life, is currently held in the esteemed collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As this print is now in the public domain, it remains widely studied as a key document of 19th-century American life and artistic transition.