Winslow Homer in watercolor

Exhibition at the MFA, Boston, 2 November 2025 – 2 January 2026

From his early forays into pastoral landscapes to his more mature works encompassing the seascapes for which he is best known, the watercolours of American artist Winslow Homer (1836–1910) are remarkable for their respect for nature and the people who thrive in its conditions—sketches that are both picturesque and sublime in their scope. His luminous landscapes painted on the wild coast of Maine, in the Adirondack Mountains, on the English coast, or in the sunny waters of the Caribbean testify to his tireless spirit of experimentation in watercolour.  

This catalogue of the exhibition at the MFA, which houses the world's largest collection of Homer's watercolours, brings together dozens of Homer's works alongside a selection of the artist's oil paintings, drawings and prints. Works ranging from his childhood drawings to his last canvas allow us to follow the major stages of his career and discover the different environments—ecological, artistic, social, and economic—that shaped his timeless watercolour work.