Winslow Homer
1836–1910
Boston; Gloucester
Winslow Homer was born in Boston and first learned to make images for printing. During the Civil War, he created illustrations of soldiers and camp life for a national magazine. He later became known for paintings and watercolors of people outdoors, including children, fishers, and sailors. Summers in Gloucester helped him explore the sea as both a workplace and a powerful force of nature. Homer paid close attention to light, weather, and human movement. His art invites viewers to consider how people earn a living and respond to danger or uncertainty.
You can use your device’s reading tools or read with a partner.
Find a detail. Build an idea.
- What did this person or group do? Point to a detail in the reading.
- How can making art, teaching, or caring for others change a community?
- What would you like to find out next? Which kind of source could help?
“Winslow Homer mattered because ___. A detail that supports my idea is ___.”
Grades 6–8: dig deeper
How could a painting of people at sea tell us about both nature and human work?
Follow the evidence.
This short reading is an original classroom summary. Open the source with your teacher to check details and learn more.
Read the source: Smithsonian Institution ↗Ask: Who made this source? What can it tell us? What might it leave out?