SAILING THE CATBOAT
by Winslow Homer
1836-1910


Sailing the Catboat by Winslow Homer

 


Winslow Homer (WINZ lo HOME er) was born in Boston in 1836. His mother was an artist and encouraged young Winslow in learning to draw. At age 19. he was illustrating sheet music covers and then when he was 21, he started working as an illustrator for a new magazine, Harper's Weekly.

Winslow Homer


When the Civil War began, he went to the war front and began to paint war scenes. Then he went to Paris and studied for a few months.

He spent some time on the coast of England and also in the state of Maine. Many of his paintings such as Sailing the Catboat reflect the knowledge he gained of the sea and life on the coast.

Homer would do studies in pencil before he painted a picture. Sometimes he worked with oil paints and sometimes with watercolor. His watercolor pictures provided a very good income for him.

He enjoyed painting pictures of children. In his painting Snap the Whip, he shows what life was like in 1872. In this painting, the children are taking a break from their classes in the "little red schoolhouse". The green of the hills and grass make up the largest portion of the painting. Notice how the red color of the schoolhouse stands out, and how your eye is drawn to the white shirts on three of the boys. None of the boys are wearing shoes.

Homer liked to be by himself and he never married. For the last 27 years of his life he lived in a remote part of Maine away from people.


Worksheet and Activities

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Winslow Homer Crossword Puzzle


Picture of Sailing the Catboat to print and color.

Work a Jigsaw Puzzle of this painting.

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Civil War pictures
plus others

Winslow Homer
biography

Winslow Homer
article from Antique Talk

Paintings by Winslow Homer

National Gallery of Art
look in all three rooms

Sailboats
art lesson - elementary

Watercolor Lesson
K-3

Art History
online interactive art lesson - elementary

Winslow Homer
art lesson based on one of Homer's paintings- middle school+

Online book about Winslow Homer
Open Library.org

Masterworks of Art - Snap the Whip
Masterworks of Art - Snap the Whip
Homer, Winslow
Buy this Poster at AllPosters.com


60313: Come Look with Me: World of Play Come Look with Me: World of Play
By Gladys S. Blizzard / Lickle Publishing Inc

Come Look with Me: World of Play is no dry discourse on art history or painting technique. Instead, it pairs quality art reproductions with thought-provoking questions, encouraging the child to enter the painting or sculpture and explore it through the artist's eyes, through the eyes of the people depicted, and through the child's own imagination.

Author, Gladys S. Blizzard has chosen twelve fascinating works of art which, although diverse, all fall into the most child-friendly of themes, people at play. Works range from an ancient Minano fresco and a classic Winslow Homer to a wacky modern basketball game sculpted by Red Grooms in painted wood.

Each work of art is paired with simple, open-ended questions and a brief background on the artist and his or her work. This provides adults with added understanding and a basis for further discussion.

This book can be shared by adults and students at home, in the classroom, in a library or museum. Wherever the setting, readers will enjoy this new way of looking at art. 32 pages, hardcover. Ages 6 and up.


449118: Winslow Homer: American Original Winslow Homer: American Original
By Devine Entertainment Corp

American artist Winslow Homer's illustrations for Harper's Weekly magazine earned high praise for their honest portrayal of the Civil War. Discouraged by the horrors he witnessed, Homer abandons his post and heads to the quiet of Houghton Farm to paint. His peace is soon disturbed by two curious teenagers who are intrigued by the cantankerous artist. Unable to shake them off, he asks them to be models. As they pose, Gabe and Fee become fast friends telling white lies as they each hide how the war has shattered their own families. As Homer shares his personal experiences, he urges them to say goodbye to their ghosts and to move forward with their lives. Homer's new work, "Snap the Whip" reflects the influence of his young friends and his favorite new subject - children.





Famous Artists in this Series

Index to Famous Paintings
Art Appreciation
Lessons for Kids

Bierstadt

Boughton

Bruegel

Cassatt

Cavallino

Cezanne

Cranach

Curry
Durer
Van Dyck
Van Eyck
De Flandes
Fragonard
Gainsborough
Gauguin
Van Gogh
Goya
Hicks
Holbein
Homer
de Hooch
Hopper
Huguet
Jakuchu
Leutze
Limbourg
Michelangelo
Millet
Monet
Moses
O'Keeffe
Raphael
Rembrandt
Remington
Renoir
Reynolds
Rivera
Rockwell
Rousseau
Rubens
Seurat
Titian
Valazquez
Vermeer
De Vinci
Whistler
Wyeth
Yani

Art Gallery Famous Paintings Volume 1

Art Gallery Famous Paintings Volume 2

Picture courtesy of The ArtChive Patron Program