Two Boys Watching Schooners

Museum record 16803: Two Boys Watching Schooners by Winslow Homer. A verified entry point for discovery.

What to notice

For Two Boys Watching Schooners (record 16803), start with modern, expressive, atmospheric. Compare the focal subject, edge treatment, and atmosphere before moving on.

Discover

Created in 1880 during Homer's second visit to Gloucester, Massachusetts, Two Boys Watching Schooners shows two boys perched on an enormous rock, a vantage point from which they could keep an eye on the comings and goings of the fishing fleet. In this work, the artist juxtaposed the figures and shore (rendered in warm tones) with the cool blue tones of the harbor, sky and schooner. In this way, he emphasized the psychological isolation of those who waited on shore, hoping and watching for the safe return…