Presenting nearly 50 watercolors by Winslow Homer (1836–1910), alongside a selection of his oils, drawings, and prints, Of Light and Air: Winslow Homer from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston explores how the artist grew as a watercolorist. With material ranging from a childhood drawing to his final canvas, the exhibition follows the major chapters in his career and explores the various environments—ecological, artistic, social, and economic—that shaped his enduring work in watercolor. Homer’s watercolors capture the look and feel of a place, transporting the viewer to the rugged Maine coast, New York’s Adirondack Mountains, the English seashore, and the sunlit Caribbean.

 

The exhibition unfolds chronologically, beginning with the origin of Homer’s career—from his early years in Boston to the front lines of the Civil War. His experimentation with ink wash introduced him to the possibilities of watercolor. As he progressed, the painter moved between oil and watercolor, highlighting popular new leisure spaces and the lives of rural women and children. Working primarily in New England, Homer spent time depicting coastal ocean vistas and the forest scenery of the Adirondacks. His deft handling of watercolor as a medium resulted in both experimental and observational compositions that captured the motion and energy of his surroundings.