Mending the Tears
1888
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
plate: 17 3/8 x 22 15/16 in. (44.1 x 58.3 cm) sheet: 21 x 27 11/16 in. (53.4 x 70.4 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1924
Accession Number
24.39.3
Tags
Art Historical Context
Winslow Homer's *Mending the Tears*1888) is a striking etching that captures the quiet resilience of everyday life along the American coast. Created during Homer's later years at his Prouts Neck, Maine studio this print depicts women meticulously repairing fishing nets, a nod to the hardy communities of New England fishermen. Homer, a master of American Realism, drew from his deep immersion in these rugged seascapes, emphasizing the textures of weathered ropes and the stoic determination of his subjects. As an etching on a large plate (17 3/8 x 22 15/16 inches), the work showcases Homer's tec...
About the Artist
Winslow Homer · 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...