Girl Holding a Shell

Winslow Homer, American, 1836–1910. This charcoal drawing depicts a young woman in profile, holding an oversized shell aloft. Homer's subject gazes outward with classical composure, her long hair flowing, her body draped in a simple garment adorned with buttons. The shell—rendered with careful detail—dominates the composition as both still-life object and symbolic prop. Homer's assured draughtsmanship demonstrates his mastery of figure studies and tonal modeling. Created during his prolific decades as an illustrator and fine artist, the work shows his ongoing exploration of figure drawing and allegorical subject matter that would characterize his broader body of work.