Artist's Birth and Death Dates: Winslow Homer (1836-1910)
Title: The Veteran in a New Field
Date: 1865
Medium: oil on canvas
In your opinion, briefly state what this work of art is about? What are
some of the themes and ideas the work addresses?
The title and date of Homer's painting gives us a hint about its
meaning. The title refers to a veteran in a new field, which implies a
soldier returning from the war to resume his life as a farmer. The
Civil War ended in 1865, the same year the painting was made. The
setting is sunny and peaceful, suggesting the end of hostilities between
the North and South and a return to the agrarian life that was the
backbone of America in the mid-19th century.
Describe the "content" (subject matter) of the work, that is, what
kind
of action is being depicted? Who participates? Where does the action
occur? What is going on in the background?
The painting depicts a solitary figure with his back to the viewer,
cutting wheat with a scythe. In front of him (the background of the
painting) lies a seemingly endless field of wheat as tall as he is, and
above that a bright blue sky. Although there appears to be a jacket in
the lower right hand corner, it's hard to tell what color it is and
therefore whether he was a Union or Confederate soldier. We only know
that he is wearing a white shirt, a color that sometimes symbolizes good
and purity.
Describe the "formal elements" of the work, that is, what kind
of
materials did the artist use? What kind of line and colors did the
artist use, and how do they work together? Do you think the artist
worked slowly or quickly?
Veteran in a New Field is made of oil paint on canvas, conventional
materials for paintings in the 19th century. The painting is composed
primarily of ocher, blue, brown and white. The colors are warm and
bright, which adds to the sense of sunlight in the picture. While the
figure seems carefully painted, the wheat stalks are made of very quick
brushstrokes which help convey the sense of movement from the wind and
the scythe.
Based on your observations, how would you describe the "style" of
the
work?
All of the elements of the painting (the foreground, the figure, and the
background) are painted realistically, making it appear to be an example
of Realism.
How would you describe the "tone" of the work of art? (How does
it make
you feel? Is it peaceful, violent, contemplative, sensuous, or
descriptive?)
There are several tones within Veteran in a New Field. The scene is
quiet and peaceful, but it also feels a little lonely and somber. The
viewer can imagine the veteran thinking about his time in the army
during the Civil War, or he may just be thinking about finishing his
work and how hot it is out in the field. The bright sunlight and open
space in the painting make me feel good, but the solitary figure and
implied hard labor cause me to ponder what the artist was thinking about
when he made the work.
How do you think the circumstances of the artist's life (when and where
the artist worked, the political climate of the time, the artist's
gender, etc.) affected his/her art? Provide an example specific to
his/her era, do not generalize.
Having grown up in the mid-19th century, Homer was undoubtedly affected
by the events in America during this period. He obviously was
influenced by the Civil War and its aftermath, as well as the importance
of farming to the American way of life. The fact that he chose to
depict a solitary male figure, instead of a family with women and
children, probably reflects the secondary role women were forced to play
during this time in American history. Finally, I would guess that Homer
didn't identify the solider as either Union or Confederate because he
wanted all Americans, Northern and Southern, to enjoy his work rather
than just one side or the other.
Look closely at the work as you try to read the artist's intent. Pay
attention to what feelings the work engenders in you. Along with a
study of the subject matter or meaning of the work, concentrate on how
the work was made, its
materials, its form: the use of color, line, texture, form, mass,
compositional balance and counterpoint. Make a statement which
indicates HOW the subject matter (content) is supported by the formal
elements of the piece.
The horizontal orientation of Homer's painting is the most obvious
formal element that reinforces the work's subject. Artists have long
used the horizontal format to depict landscape, and a major part of the
painting's subject matter is the wheat field and the vast blue sky.
Homer's use of warm, bright colors, including ocher, blue, brown and
white, reinforces the sense of being outdoors in bright sunlight. The
quick, choppy brushstrokes used to describe the wheat stalks help convey
the sense of movement from the wind and the scythe and gives the viewer
the feeling of standing right behind the farmer as he works his crop.
Finally, one of the most dramatic formal elements is the figure's white
shirt. The bright white draws the viewer's eye immediately to the
veteran, which, after all, is the primary focus of Homer's painting.
This would not have been possible had Homer given the figure a dark
colored shirt or even painted him with his shirt off.
