Red Shirt, Homosassa, Florida

Red Shirt, Homosassa, Florida is a remarkable watercolor over graphite on wove paper created by Winslow Homer in 1904. This work stands as a powerful example of the artist’s late-career achievements, demonstrating his technical fluency and intense observation of light and nature, particularly during his frequent winter travels to the warmer climates of Florida and the Caribbean.

As an American master of the watercolor medium, Homer utilized the classification of drawing-based watercolor to its full potential. The composition, likely built upon an underlying graphite sketch, showcases the artist’s characteristic boldness in handling light and shadow. The vibrant application of pigment highlights the figure’s attire, where the eponymous red shirt provides a clear focal point against the surrounding natural environment of Homosassa. The work belongs firmly to the period spanning 1901 to 1925, a time when Homer increasingly focused on the isolated figure and elemental forces of nature, moving away from the complex narrative scenes of his earlier career.

Homer’s practice in this medium allowed for the spontaneous capture of fleeting moments, lending the piece an immediacy often absent from his oil paintings. The resulting simplicity of the composition elevates the formal elements, allowing the viewer to focus on the interplay between the subject and the setting. This exceptional piece of American art resides in the esteemed collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., affirming its cultural and historical significance. Today, fine art prints reflecting the mastery of this pivotal American artist are widely available, and thanks to the passage of time, images of his late works, such as this watercolor, are frequently accessible for study through public domain collections.