Thanksgiving Day - Hanging up the Musket

"Thanksgiving Day - Hanging up the Musket" by Winslow Homer is a historically significant wood engraving created in 1865, capturing a moment of profound transition in the United States. Executed shortly after the conclusion of the Civil War, the print depicts a soldier, presumably a family member, returning home and re-assimilating into civilian life. The central action involves him placing his weapon the musket on the wall above the fireplace hearth, symbolically marking the immediate shift from martial duty back to domesticity and the tradition of the national holiday.

Homer’s skill as an illustrator is evident in the clarity of the lines and the direct emotional connection to the subject matter. As an illustrator for popular magazines, Homer produced many powerful journalistic illustrations during this decade, and prints like this work were widely disseminated, making them instrumental in shaping public perception of the postwar era. This specific depiction resonates deeply with the national desire for peace and reunification, using the domestic Thanksgiving setting as a backdrop for quiet hope and recovery. The relatively accessible medium of the wood engraving allowed for broad reproduction and viewing across the American populace, a factor that ensures such historically important prints often transition into the public domain over time. This impactful piece from 1865 is classified as a Print and is proudly held in the permanent collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.