The Gale

Artist Winslow Homer American, 1836–1910

Date1883–1893

Mediumoil on canvas

Dimensionscanvas: 30 1/4 x 48 5/16 in. (76.8 x 122.7 cm)
frame: 46 1/4 × 63 1/2 × 7 in. (117.5 × 161.3 × 17.8 cm)

ClassificationsPaintings

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Terms

Object number1916.48

Label TextFollowing his move from New York City to Prouts Neck, Maine, in the 1880s, Homer truned increasingly to painting the sea. Highly acclaimed both during his lifetime and today, his seascapes evoke Maine's wave-battered rocky coast through vigorous brushwork and the thick materiality of paint. These works also meditate on timeless themes of humankind's struggle against nature. After exhibiting The Gale in 1883, Homer spent a decade reworking it to eliminate the trappings of a life-saving brigade. The final, sparer composition emphasizes the stoic fortitude of a lone fisherwoman—with a baby strapped to her back—facing the raw power of the sea.ProvenanceThomas B. Clarke [1848-1931]; 1883, sold to J. Harson Rhoades [1838-1906] at the World's Fair in Chicago; by descent to Mrs. B. Ogden Chisholm. (By 1916, Snedecor & Co., New York, NY); 1916, purchased by the Worcester Art Museum.

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