Thanksgiving Day – Arrival At the Old Home (from "Harper's Weekly," Vol. II)

Thanksgiving Day – Arrival At the Old Home (from "Harper's Weekly," Vol. II) is a definitive example of Winslow Homer’s early career as an illustrator. Created in 1858, this wood engraving captures a poignant scene of seasonal reunion and domestic sentimentality. Before Homer gained renown for his powerful oil paintings, he worked extensively as a freelance illustrator, contributing detailed prints to popular publications like Harper’s Weekly and documenting scenes of mid-19th century American social life and traditions.

The detailed print depicts the culmination of a long holiday journey. A large, multi-generational family congregates around a horse-drawn carriage, which has just delivered guests to the "Old Home." Homer skillfully renders the chaotic warmth of the arrival: men help unload trunks and embrace, while women greet each other with outstretched arms. Small dogs dart around the travelers’ feet, and the preparations for the feast are hinted at by the prominent inclusion of turkeys being moved or handled in the foreground. This early work provides a charming visual narrative, underscoring the ritualistic importance placed on family reunions during the American Thanksgiving holiday in the years immediately preceding the Civil War.

As a significant early print by the artist, the piece demonstrates Homer's emerging talent for dynamic composition and character portrayal through the demanding technique of wood engraving. Today, this work is held in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, preserving a valuable public record of 19th-century American domestic history.