Our Watering Places—Horse-Racing at Saratoga

"Our Watering Places—Horse-Racing at Saratoga," created by Winslow Homer (American, 1836-1910) and published in 1865 by the influential periodical Harper's Weekly, captures a pivotal moment of Gilded Age leisure. This striking image is a wood engraving on paper, a ubiquitous and essential print medium utilized for mass-circulation publications across the United States in the mid-19th century. The scene depicts the celebrated racetrack at Saratoga Springs, New York, a fashionable resort destination where the emerging social elite gathered for both sport and socialization following the conclusion of the Civil War.

Homer frequently documented scenes of American life, quickly pivoting his focus from Civil War subjects to postwar relaxation and recreation. Here, the artist employs the high contrast and meticulous line work typical of the wood engraving technique to render the dynamic activity of the track. The composition emphasizes both the kinetic thrill of the race and the dense, structured crowds of spectators, illustrating the emerging consumer culture and specific social rituals of the era. The widespread dissemination of this image via Harper’s Weekly made Homer’s visual reporting accessible to a broad public audience.

This print offers valuable insight into postwar American culture and Homer’s evolving narrative style as he established himself as a preeminent chronicler of the period. Classified as a print, this piece resides in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. As a significant example of 19th-century American graphic art, this image is frequently studied and, like many historical prints from that time, may be found in the public domain for academic research and appreciation.