Our Watering Places – The Empty Sleeve at Newport (from "Harper's Weekly," Vol. IX)

Our Watering Places – The Empty Sleeve at Newport (from "Harper's Weekly," Vol. IX) by Winslow Homer is a striking wood engraving created in 1865. Executed shortly after the conclusion of the American Civil War, this print served as a pictorial commentary on the intersection of postwar realities and fashionable leisure. Published in Harper’s Weekly, where Homer worked as a staff illustrator, the image was widely circulated, documenting contemporary American life for a mass audience.

The scene captures the social elite gathered at Newport, Rhode Island, a renowned summer resort for affluent society. Homer depicts the elegant women and well-dressed men who populate the promenade, accompanied by the high-end carriages that signify their wealth. However, the composition derives its emotional weight from the inclusion of the war’s cost, referenced by the titular “empty sleeve.” The wounded veteran stands conspicuously among the socialites, prompting viewers to consider the reintegration of returning soldiers into a society eager to embrace peacetime pleasures.

This work exemplifies Homer’s early talent for detailed graphic reportage, synthesizing complex social observations within a readily reproducible format. The medium of wood engraving, crucial for 19th-century mass media, allowed Homer to distribute this poignant social snapshot instantly. Today, this important print resides in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, serving as a vital record of both Homer's career development and the cultural environment of 1865. Given its status as an historic print, reproductions of the work are often available through public domain initiatives.