Our Next President

This wood engraving by Winslow Homer depicts a domestic scene of political speculation during the 1868 presidential election. Four figures gather around a table—two women and two men—engaged in animated discussion while examining what appears to be political materials or newspapers. A portrait hangs on the wall above, suggesting the identity of the "next president" under debate. Homer employs the visual conventions emerging in periodical illustration: varied figure poses, detailed cross-hatching for depth and texture, and sequential composition that guides the viewer's eye through the social interaction. As a leading illustrator for *Harper's Weekly*, Homer helped establish the visual language of American journalism during the Civil War and Reconstruction era, developing techniques that would influence the development of sequential narrative in print media.