Seated Girl with a Basket

Winslow Homer's sketch captures a seated figure in informal dress, rendered with the artist's characteristic economy of line and strategic use of white gouache against toned paper. The composition demonstrates Homer's skill at figure study, employing quick gestural marks to suggest form and fabric while maintaining a naturalistic pose. Homer's mastery of this drawing technique—combining charcoal, ink, and opaque highlights—shows the working methods behind his finished paintings and illustrations. The work exemplifies nineteenth-century American artistic practice, when such studies served as foundation material for larger compositions.