Leaping Trout by Winslow Homer
Look first

Leaping Trout

Winslow Homer · 1889

A single flash of silver turns still water into a split-second event.

What to notice

Look for the scraped white highlights on the water; Homer physically removed pigment to create glints of reflected light.

Discover

Homer painted Adirondack subjects after years of fishing there with his brother. Technical experimentation makes the trout's leap feel sudden and almost audible.

Source institution: Cleveland Museum of Art
Rights status: CC0 / Cleveland Museum of Art Open Access
Cleveland Museum of Art
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