The Family Record

"The Family Record," a significant print created by Winslow Homer in 1875, is a compelling example of 19th-century American wood engraving. Homer was a prominent visual chronicler of the United States during the post-Civil War Reconstruction era, relying heavily on commercial illustrations published in popular magazines. This medium allowed for the widespread dissemination of the artist’s work to a broad audience, shaping the visual narrative of American life far beyond the fine art collecting circles. The technical execution in this wood engraving showcases the intricate line work necessary for high-volume printing, a process that required exceptional precision from both the artist and the block cutters.

The period spanning the 1870s saw Homer produce some of his most memorable genre scenes depicting everyday life and leisure. Works like The Family Record provided American households with accessible imagery that spoke to shared cultural values of lineage, memory, and domestic stability. The reliance on wood engraving served as the primary method for mass reproduction of high-quality illustrations before photographic processes became standard. This particular classification of print holds significance not only as a record of Homer’s prolific output but also as a key artifact in understanding visual culture in the United States immediately following the Civil War. As many of Homer’s illustrative prints were later deemed public domain, these works remain highly accessible today. This important piece of 19th-century American graphic arts is housed in the permanent collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.