Study of a Teamster

Winslow Homer's sketch captures a working man in period dress—hat, coat, and boots—rendered with quick, confident lines. The figure sits astride, holding reins, with gestural notation suggesting movement and character study. Homer uses ink wash selectively, emphasizing facial features and fabric folds. At right, a large head sketch explores expression and proportion, a common studio practice. This drawing exemplifies Civil War–era American illustration, when artists documented military life and civilian labor. Homer's economical linework and anatomical notation influenced generations of illustrators and cartoonists who would develop the sequential visual vocabulary of early comics—establishing how to convey character, action, and mood through drawing economy.