Weary and Dissatisfied with Everything

"Weary and Dissatisfied with Everything," created by Winslow Homer in 1869, is a significant example of American graphic arts from the immediate post-Civil War era. This piece is classified as a print, executed using the demanding technique of wood engraving. Homer was a prolific illustrator who frequently utilized this medium during the 1860s, producing detailed images for popular illustrated magazines that quickly disseminated his work to the broader public. Wood engravings served a vital role in 19th-century American media, blending artistic merit with mass communication.

The evocative title suggests a figure experiencing profound mental or emotional exhaustion, capturing the often-nuanced societal moods following the period of intense national conflict. Such genre scenes provided commentary on contemporary life or offered momentary distraction for readers across the United States. Homer’s skill as an observer is fully realized in the print, where his masterful handling of line and shadow effectively conveys a sense of mood and resignation within the monochromatic constraints of the medium. This early work demonstrates why Homer quickly rose to prominence as one of the country's most important chroniclers of American life and leisure.

As a crucial element of the artist’s printmaking career, this wood engraving provides insight into the visual culture and artistic methods of 1869. Many of Homer's prints from this productive period are now widely available for scholarly study and educational purposes, with impressions often residing within the public domain due to their age. This particular impression of Weary and Dissatisfied with Everything is held in the permanent collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.