Thanksgiving in Camp (from "Harper's Weekly," Vol. VII)

Thanksgiving in Camp (from "Harper's Weekly," Vol. VII) is an evocative wood engraving created by Winslow Homer in 1862. This historical print originated as an illustration for the widely read pictorial periodical, Harper's Weekly, providing citizens on the home front a visual record of the conflict during the American Civil War. Homer, serving as an artist-correspondent during the war, focused his early illustrations on capturing moments of daily life and military routine rather than large-scale battle scenes.

The scene depicts Union soldiers observing the Thanksgiving holiday while stationed in the field. Groups of men congregate around small fires, often set near their temporary tents, preparing food or warming themselves against the late autumn chill. The composition highlights the mundane, yet intimate, attempts at normalcy among the troops. Homer masterfully uses the high contrast necessary for the wood engraving process to define the figures and atmosphere, emphasizing the glow of the camp fires against the surrounding darkness.

This significant piece is classified as a print and serves as an important example of 19th-century American printmaking. Homer’s early work, characterized by its focus on non-combat scenarios, sets the stage for his later career as a preeminent realist genre painter. Thanksgiving in Camp is currently held in the esteemed collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.