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Study for "The Unruly Calf"

Courtesy of Brooklyn Museum | No known copyright restrictions

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Date

ca. 1875

Artist

Winslow Homer (1836-1910)

Collection

Brooklyn Museum

Image Link

https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/23345

Description

This deftly executed preparatory drawing for a painting is one of several works that Winslow Homer created about 1875 depicting an African American boy engaged in a tug-of-war of wits and brawn with a calf. A faint outline indicates that the artist experimented with the position of the calf's tail before settling on a final pose expressive of the animal's indignation.
Homer's images were praised by contemporary critics for their sympathetic and naturalistic treatment of blacks—a striking departure from the racist caricatures that proliferated in nineteenth-century visual culture. While rural children were a favorite subject of the artist, this particular work could also be a metaphor for the struggles of African Americans for self-determination during Reconstruction.
Descriptive medium: Graphite and white opaque watercolor on blue-grey, moderately thick, moderately textured wove paper
More details about this record can be found on the collection website

Image Licence

No known copyright restrictions

Image Credit

Courtesy of Brooklyn Museum

Location

USA

Country

Medium

Tags

Cows
People

Category

People & Society

Glossary
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© 2024 Watercolour World | Technology by The Museum Platform

© 2024 Watercolour World | Technology by The Museum Platform