Line-ups and Trenches [recto]

Line-ups and Trenches [recto] by Winslow Homer, created in 1864, is a powerful drawing executed in graphite on wove paper. This American work belongs firmly to the critical period of 1851 to 1875, reflecting the intense demands of the Civil War upon the nation and the artist. Homer often utilized field sketches like this one, capturing the day-to-day realities of military life far from the formal battle lines.

The piece provides immediate insight into the preparations and structured routine inherent in wartime service. Using sharp, efficient graphite lines, Homer renders figures in motion, likely soldiers forming ranks for inspection or preparing to occupy the defensive positions referenced by the title's mention of trenches. The classification as a drawing emphasizes the immediacy and documentary nature of the work, revealing the rapid notation skills the artist honed while working as a special correspondent illustrator for Harper’s Weekly.

This sketch often served as essential source material for the artist's later, more widely circulated wood engravings and prints, demonstrating his transition from journalistic reporting to fine art documentation of the conflict. Homer’s technique here prioritizes structural composition and the psychological weight of waiting over mere detailed finishing.

As a significant artifact from the Civil War era, the work reveals Homer’s dedication to capturing unvarnished military experience. The careful handling of the scene, even in preliminary form, underscores his reputation as one of the era’s foremost realist interpreters of the American experience. This original drawing is housed in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., where it remains a key example of the artist’s prolific output during this transformative national period. High-quality prints of Homer’s celebrated wartime works are frequently made available through public domain initiatives, ensuring widespread access to his historical visual record.