Artists Sketching in the White Mountains

Winslow Homer's sketch captures two artists at work in mountainous terrain, each sheltered by an umbrella against the elements. The figure at left holds both umbrella and palette while attending to his easel, while his companion sketches at right. Homer renders the scene with economical pen strokes, defining the rocky landscape and distant peaks through hatching and line work. Created during Homer's formative years as an illustrator and painter, this drawing documents the nineteenth-century practice of outdoor sketching expeditions. The White Mountains of New Hampshire attracted artists seeking dramatic natural subjects; Homer himself traveled there to capture landscapes and rural life. The work reveals his emerging technical skill in capturing human figures and environmental detail.