The Sleighing Season - The Upset

The Sleighing Season - The Upset by Winslow Homer, created in 1860, is a masterful example of the wood engraving technique. At this stage of his career, before his focus shifted entirely to oil painting, Homer worked extensively as a highly successful illustrator, primarily contributing to widely read periodicals. The dense, linear quality inherent in wood engraving allowed for clear, rapid reproduction, which was necessary for disseminating images across the United States in the mid-19th century.

Homer utilized this accessible medium to capture genre scenes and contemporary social moments. This particular work focuses on a dramatic, slightly humorous winter episode where a sleigh has overturned, spilling its occupants into the snow. The meticulous cross-hatching and controlled line work that defines the image showcases Homer’s early skill in composition and narrative structure, transforming a common incident into a detailed pictorial account of American life. The scene is characterized by sharp detail and strong contrast, typical of the black-and-white print media of the era.

As an important American print from the early 1860s, The Sleighing Season - The Upset documents a cultural moment while demonstrating the technical proficiency required for high-volume illustration. The piece is classified as a print and, due to its age and historical context within the United States, is often treated as public domain material, making high-resolution images widely available for academic and educational purposes. This original wood engraving is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.