"I Call them my Children - To Myself, Susan."

"I Call them my Children - To Myself, Susan," created by Winslow Homer in 1869, is a significant example of American graphic arts produced during the pivotal Reconstruction era. Executed as a wood engraving, this print demonstrates Homer’s early proficiency in translating narrative subjects into a reproducible, popular format. During the 1860s, Homer was one of the foremost illustrators in the United States, utilizing the demanding medium of wood engraving to contribute detailed images of daily life and current events to periodicals like Harper's Weekly.

The work’s intimate title suggests a specific narrative focus, likely centering on domesticity or motherhood as viewed through the figure of "Susan." Wood engravings, characterized by sharp contrasts and detailed line work, were essential for disseminating visual culture to a mass audience at a time when photography was not yet widely printable. This technique required the artist to translate complex tonal variations into black and white hatching and cross-hatching, a skill Homer mastered early in his career before shifting primarily to oil painting.

While Homer is best known for his later seascapes and oils, his extensive output of graphic prints like this one is vital for understanding his development and his role in shaping the visual record of 19th-century American culture. This particular piece offers insight into the period’s focus on personal and rural narratives. The print is currently held in the esteemed collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art and is widely recognized within art historical studies of American prints. Due to its age, this work from 1869 is now considered part of the public domain.