The End of the Day, Adirondacks

Description

The End of the Day, Adirondacks captures a fisherman’s introspective moment. Homer rendered the light from the setting sun with pale pink and orange washes, seen in the sky and reflected in the water. Foliage in the background and at the right side of the image is depicted abstractly, adding to the scene’s hazy atmosphere. This area shows signs of overwork, where Homer repeatedly removed and added color as he sought to soften the contours of the landscape, as if enveloped in the mist of evening. Characteristic of the artist’s working methods, he did not try to obscure the passage and chose to let it stand.

Provenance

The artist to his brother, Charles S. Homer, Jr. (1834–1917), New York, by 1910 [according to correspondence from Abigail Booth Gerdts to the Art Institute, February 10, 2007]. Charles W. Gould (1849–1931), New York, by 1915 [Brooklyn exh. cat. 1915]. Sold by Knoedler and Company, New York, to Martin A. Ryerson (1856–1932), Chicago, November 11, 1915 [invoice]; given to the Art Institute, 1933.

The End of the Day, Adirondacks

Winslow Homer

1890

Accession Number

16785

Medium

Transparent watercolor, with traces of opaque watercolor, rewetting, blotting, and scraping, over traces of graphite, on moderately thick, rough-textured, ivory wove paper

Dimensions

35.4 × 50.8 cm (13 15/16 × 20 in.)

Classification

watercolor

Museum

The Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago, United States

Credit Line

Mr. and Mrs. Martin A. Ryerson Collection

Background & Context

Background Story

Winslow Homer's The End of the Day, Adirondacks shows the close of day in the Adirondack wilderness, capturing the quiet beauty of evening light.

Cultural Impact

Homer's Adirondack evening scenes capture the peace of the wilderness.

Why It Matters

This end of the day captures the quiet beauty of evening in the Adirondacks.