Lumbering in Winter (Every Saturday, Vol. II, New Series)
January 28, 1871
Medium
Wood engraving
Dimensions
sheet: 14 5/8 x 10 9/16 in. (37.1 x 26.9 cm) image: 11 5/8 x 8 7/8 in. (29.5 x 22.5 cm) block: 12 1/16 x 9 1/16 in. (30.6 x 23 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1930
Accession Number
30.75.2(3)
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
About this artwork
This Wood engraving by American artist Winslow Homer|John Parker Davis|James R. Osgood & Co. from January 28, 1871 represents an important work in the Metropolitan Museum's Drawings and Prints collection. Lumbering in Winter (Every Saturday, Vol. II, New ... [Full research-based description continues - work exemplifies period techniques, cultural context, and artistic significance within its genre and historical moment.]
Art Historical Context
**Lumbering in Winter a wood engraving published in *Every Saturday* magazine (Vol. II, New Series) on January 28, 1871, captures the rugged essence of 19th-century American life. Created by renowned artist Winslow Homer in collaboration with John Parker Davis printed by James R. Osgood & Co., it depicts hardy lumberjacks at work amid snow-covered trees, axes in hand. Homer, a master of Realism, often portrayed everyday laborers and the natural world with vivid authenticity, making this piece a snapshot of the logging industry vital to post-Civil War America's expanding economy in the Northeast. Wood engraving, the medium here, was a pinnacle of period printmaking technique. Artisans meticulously carved detailed images into hardwood blocks, allowing for high-contrast, intricate reproductions ideal for mass-market periodicals like *Every Saturday*. This affordable format brought Homer's dynamic compositions—full of motion, texture, and wintry drama—to a wide audience, bridging fine art and popular illustration. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (acquired via the Harris Brisbane Dick Fund in 1930), the print measures about 14½ x 10½ inches and exemplifies cultural shifts toward celebrating manual labor and wilderness taming. Visitors will appreciate how it evokes the resilience of workers braving harsh winters, a timeless nod to America's industrial roots.
About the Artist
Winslow Homer|John Parker Davis|James R. Osgood & 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...