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拍品專文
Hilly Landscape is one of the nearly ninety watercolors executed by Winslow Homer during his vacations in the Adirondack Mountains towards the end of the nineteenth century. Many scholars believe that these Adirondack watercolors are among the masterworks of his career, marking an important stage in his development as a painter. His skilled and unique use of saturated colors and light reflect not only the beautiful New York landscape, but also the emotional effects that nature inspired.
By 1889, Homer had become the preeminent painter of watercolors in America. At the time Hilly Landscape was executed in 1894, Homer's works were eagerly and widely sought by collectors and, around the turn-of-the century, significant numbers of them were purchased by the Metropolitan Museum, the Brooklyn Museum and the Worcester Art Museum. Carol Troyen writes: "After Homer's death in 1910, the marketing of his work was handled by his brother Charles, and by Knoedler's. The Metropolitan Museum bought twelve Homer watercolors from the group displayed at the memorial exhibition it mounted in 1910; Brooklyn bought twelve through Charles Homer in 1911; and Worcester acquired fourteen from Knoedler's between 1905 and 1917, for prices ranging from $540 to $2200." (S.W. Reed and C. Troyen, Awash in Color: Homer, Sargent, and the Great American Watercolor, Boston, Massachusetts, 1993, pp. xlix-l)
Hilly Landscape is a brilliant example of Homer's exploration of nature through the media of watercolor. The solitary bird in the left foreground evokes a sense of the quiet isolation of the area, while the lush foliage in the middle ground and rolling hills and open sky in the background reflect Homer's passion for the great outdoors. The only signs of human interference in the pristine landscape are the small slivers of dirt road following from the left foreground into the background at the right in the composition.
Hilly Landscape is also important as a reflection of the emergence of the Adirondacks as a popular vacation destination towards the end of the nineteenth century. Beginning in 1886, Homer made regular visits to the North Woods Club, a private fishing and hunting preserve just outside of Minerva, New York. Homer and his brother Charles were charter members of the Adirondack retreat. Homer's passion for the outdoors paralleled the increasing interest in hunting and fishing among affluent businessmen of the day who took camping expeditions into the mountains for sport and recreation. During 1894, he stayed at the club from June 3 to July 8 -- it was most likely during this trip that Homer painted the present work.
This work will be included in the forthcoming Spanierman Gallery/CUNY/Goodrich/Whitney catalogue raisonné of the works of Winslow Homer.
By 1889, Homer had become the preeminent painter of watercolors in America. At the time Hilly Landscape was executed in 1894, Homer's works were eagerly and widely sought by collectors and, around the turn-of-the century, significant numbers of them were purchased by the Metropolitan Museum, the Brooklyn Museum and the Worcester Art Museum. Carol Troyen writes: "After Homer's death in 1910, the marketing of his work was handled by his brother Charles, and by Knoedler's. The Metropolitan Museum bought twelve Homer watercolors from the group displayed at the memorial exhibition it mounted in 1910; Brooklyn bought twelve through Charles Homer in 1911; and Worcester acquired fourteen from Knoedler's between 1905 and 1917, for prices ranging from $540 to $2200." (S.W. Reed and C. Troyen, Awash in Color: Homer, Sargent, and the Great American Watercolor, Boston, Massachusetts, 1993, pp. xlix-l)
Hilly Landscape is a brilliant example of Homer's exploration of nature through the media of watercolor. The solitary bird in the left foreground evokes a sense of the quiet isolation of the area, while the lush foliage in the middle ground and rolling hills and open sky in the background reflect Homer's passion for the great outdoors. The only signs of human interference in the pristine landscape are the small slivers of dirt road following from the left foreground into the background at the right in the composition.
Hilly Landscape is also important as a reflection of the emergence of the Adirondacks as a popular vacation destination towards the end of the nineteenth century. Beginning in 1886, Homer made regular visits to the North Woods Club, a private fishing and hunting preserve just outside of Minerva, New York. Homer and his brother Charles were charter members of the Adirondack retreat. Homer's passion for the outdoors paralleled the increasing interest in hunting and fishing among affluent businessmen of the day who took camping expeditions into the mountains for sport and recreation. During 1894, he stayed at the club from June 3 to July 8 -- it was most likely during this trip that Homer painted the present work.
This work will be included in the forthcoming Spanierman Gallery/CUNY/Goodrich/Whitney catalogue raisonné of the works of Winslow Homer.