Ship-Building, Gloucester Harbor (from "Harper's Weekly," Vol. XVII)

Ship-Building, Gloucester Harbor (from "Harper's Weekly," Vol. XVII) by Winslow Homer, created in 1873, is a significant wood engraving produced during a prolific period of the artist’s career as an illustrator. Designed for mass circulation, this print appeared in the highly influential periodical Harper's Weekly, documenting scenes of contemporary American coastal life for a national audience.

The scene captures the robust activity at Gloucester Harbor, Massachusetts, a vital center for shipbuilding and maritime commerce in the mid-19th century. Homer focuses intently on the theme of working life, depicting men engaged in the arduous labor required to construct the massive wooden ships visible in the drydock. The composition artfully contrasts the scale of the emerging vessels with the human figures involved in their creation. Throughout the yard, boys observe or assist the men, subtly addressing the transmission of skills central to this industry.

This work exemplifies Homer's mastery of the graphic medium, using strong lines and shading to convey texture and volume. As one of his powerful American subject pictures following the Civil War, the print emphasizes local industry, character, and the dignity of labor. This detailed document of 19th-century shipbuilding is a notable example of American printmaking and resides within the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. High-resolution prints of this historical illustration are widely available through public domain archives, allowing scholars and enthusiasts to study the precision of Homer’s early technique.