Our Watering Places—The Empty Sleeve at Newport

"Our Watering Places—The Empty Sleeve at Newport," created by Winslow Homer (American, 1836-1910) and published in Harper's Weekly in 1865, is a significant example of American social commentary prints from the immediate post-Civil War era. This detailed work is a wood engraving on buff wove paper, a common medium for widely disseminated illustrated journalism of the time.

The image captures a scene of high society leisure at Newport, Rhode Island, contrasting the frivolous activities of the wealthy elite with the profound physical consequences of the recently concluded conflict. The title specifically references the figure of a veteran, identifiable by his missing arm—the "empty sleeve"—who is navigating the social scene. Homer uses this juxtaposition to subtly critique the shifting cultural landscape of the United States, placing the sacrifice of the wounded soldier directly adjacent to the fashionable women and their elaborate peacetime pursuits. This observation highlights the challenge of integrating disabled soldiers back into a rapidly modernizing society focused on recreation.

Though Homer is better known for his later oil paintings, his ability to convey complex narrative through detailed line work is evident in this print. His early career as a journalistic illustrator ensured that works like this, published through Harper's Weekly, reached a massive audience, documenting and shaping perceptions of the Reconstruction era. This important piece is held in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it serves as a key reference point for scholars studying 19th-century American prints. As a historical work, the image, which bears the full title Our Watering Places—The Empty Sleeve at Newport, remains a valuable resource, often available to researchers through public domain initiatives.