Life in Camp, Part 1: Surgeon's Call

Life in Camp, Part 1: Surgeon’s Call by Winslow Homer, created in 1864, is a significant color lithograph reflecting the daily realities of the American Civil War. During this pivotal conflict, Homer worked as an embedded artist-correspondent, granting him direct access to the Union forces and the structures of military life. This piece, the first in a series focused on the camp routine, examines the non-combat realities that sustained or hindered the troops, capturing a scene familiar to countless soldiers.

The work documents the critical time known as the "Surgeon's Call," the mandatory daily examination of ailing men. A long line of soldiers stands patiently outside a cluster of military tents, their posture and demeanor conveying a mix of weariness and quiet expectation. Homer used the medium of the print to clearly define the figures, highlighting the attending doctors-their professional detachment and authority signaled by their distinct attire-at the center of the composition. The frequent presence of illness in these camps often proved more debilitating than battlefield casualties, underscoring the vital, if unglamorous, role of military doctors. Homer’s focus on these seemingly mundane administrative details provided the public with an authentic look at the hardships endured far from the fighting line.

As a color lithograph, this piece was designed for efficient reproduction and mass distribution, making it an accessible form of imagery that supplemented newspaper illustrations of the era. The process of creating detailed prints allowed Homer’s observations of wartime life to reach a wide audience, cementing his reputation as a chronicler of the period. This important historical record, documenting the lives of American soldiers and the maturation of Homer’s artistic style, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.