“You will see, in the future I will live by my watercolors.” – Winslow Homer
Winslow Homer’s watercolors are rarely shown en masse because they’re vulnerable, as are all watercolors, to fading from exposure to light. There’s a once-in-generation chance to see them in an exhibition in Boston running from now through January 19, 2026. Fifty of them will be shown, plus oils, are being exhibited together at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, which boasts the world’s largest collection of them.
The show, Of Light and Air: Winslow Homer in Watercolor, also includes major oil paintings many will recognize (Homer’s oil have been reproduced three different times on U.S. Postage stamps).
Winslow Homer, “The Blue Boat,” 1892 Watercolor, graphite pencil on paper* William Sturgis Bigelow Collection* Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
The material ranges from Homer’s childhood drawings all the way to his final canvas, marking the major chapters in his career and the various environments – ecological, artistic, social, and economic – that shaped his enduring work in the medium.
Among the oils on view is “The Fog Warning,” one of Homer’s iconic seascapes in which human beings face off against the power and indifference of nature. Homer eerily pitches gray clouds of the encroaching fog at the same rakish angle as the boat – making it clear that the fight is on. The outsized fish and the jagged edges of the steel-blue-gray swells emphasize the stakes are nothing less than life or death.
Winslow Homer, “The Fog Warning, Halibut Fishing,”1885. Oil on canvas76.83 x 123.19 cm (30 1/4 x 48 1/2 in.) Anonymous gift with credit to the Otis Norcross Fund* Photograph ©Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Homer’s watercolors, in contrast to stormy oils such as “The Fog Warning” above or “The Lookout, ‘All’s Well,’ also on display, generally take a lighter and airier approach. Atmosphere, colors, textures and other qualities of water, air, rock, clouds, and light take center stage.
Winslow Homer, “Fisherman’s Family (The Lookout),” 1881. Watercolor over graphite pencil on paper* Bequest of John T. Spaulding* Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Winslow Homer, “Old Settlers,” 1892. Watercolor over graphite pencil on paper* Bequest of Nathaniel T. Kidder* Photograph © Museum of FineArts, Boston.
Winslow Homer, “Rocky Coast and Gulls,” 1869. Oil. Bequest of Grenville H. Norcross* Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
The Lookout –”All’s Well,”1896Winslow Homer (American, 1836–1910)Oil on canvas* Warren Collection—William Wilkins Warren Fund* Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
If you’re interested in learning how the professionals create their incredible watercolors, check out these detailed step by step videos for sale right here.
