Summit of Mt. Washington

Winslow Homer's sketch captures a mountain expedition with four horses navigating rocky terrain. The drawing demonstrates Homer's economy of line and keen observation of animal anatomy—qualities that defined his work as an illustrator for *Harper's Weekly* during the 1860s. Homer's pen technique here shows the rapid, confident hatching and gestural mark-making characteristic of wood-engraving preparation. The composition's diagonal movement and varied vantage points on the horses reflect the visual storytelling strategies emerging in periodical illustration, where sequential imagery and dynamic positioning conveyed narrative momentum to viewers accustomed to dense, packed compositions.