Life in Camp, Part 2: In the Trenches; Good Bye; Fording; Extra Ration; The Field Barber; The Girl He Left Behind Him; Drummer; A Deserter; Home on Furlough; The Rifle Pit; Teamster; Our Special

Art Historical Context

This color lithograph series, created in 1864 by Winslow Homer in collaboration with publishers Louis Prang & Co. and Beadle & Co., captures intimate vignettes of Union soldiers during the American Civil War. Titled *Life in Camp, Part 2*, the set includes scenes such as “In the Trenches,” “The Field Barber,” “Home on Furlough,” and “The Girl He Left Behind Him.” Each small sheet, measuring just over four by two inches, portrays the daily rhythms of military life—from writing letters and receiving extra rations to moments of departure and return—offering viewers a ground-level view of the conflict rather than grand battle scenes. Homer, who began his career as a magazine illustrator, brought a keen eye for everyday detail to these prints. Working in the relatively new medium of color lithography allowed the images to be reproduced affordably and widely distributed, helping civilians on the home front visualize the human side of the war. The series humanizes soldiers through quiet, relatable moments, reflecting the era’s growing interest in realistic portrayals of ordinary experience amid national upheaval. Today these works reside in the Metropolitan Museum’s collection as both art and historical documents, reminding us how popular prints shaped public understanding of the Civil War.

About the Artist

Winslow Homer|Louis Prang & Co.|Beadle & Co. · 1836–1910

Winslow Homer (1836-1910) was one of America's greatest painters and a preeminent figure in 19th-century American art. Largely self-taught, Homer began his career as a commercial illustrator and Civil War correspondent for Harper's Weekly before becoming renowned for his powerful marine subjects and landscape paintings. His mastery of both oil and watercolor, combined with his uncompromising reali...