Right and Left

Right and Left is the final major oil painting created by Winslow Homer, completed in 1909, just two years before his death. This powerful work, executed in oil on canvas, stands as a capstone to his long and distinguished career in American art. Belonging firmly to the period of 1901 to 1925, the painting exemplifies the dramatic realism that defined much of Homer’s later output, particularly his profound engagement with nature and the unforgiving sea.

The canvas captures a moment of stark tragedy and dynamic motion: two common eider ducks plummeting earthward after being shot, presumably by a hunter positioned outside the frame. Homer isolates the ducks against a vast, atmospheric expanse of churning gray sea and dramatic, low-hanging clouds. The composition is highly innovative, with the birds positioned high in the frame, emphasizing the forces of gravity and the sudden, violent end of life. The title itself, Right and Left, refers to the quick, consecutive shots required to bring down two birds simultaneously, underscoring the lethal efficiency of the scene.

As a definitive statement from the artist’s late period, the painting often prompts reflection on the tense relationship between humanity and the natural world. Homer, who spent the last decades of his life in relative isolation near the coast of Maine, frequently depicted the brutal beauty and indifference of the ocean environment. This piece is frequently cited as a masterpiece of early 20th-century American painting. The work resides today in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art. Due to its significance and its classification in the public domain, high-quality prints of this work are widely available, ensuring broad access to Homer’s masterful final canvas.