Lumbering in Winter
American Art
Our artist presents an effective picture of lumbermen engaged in their winter work. The scene represents the first stage of lumbering,—felling trees and cutting them into logs of the desired length.
While the narrative accompanying this illustration discusses the image in the context of the commercial lumber industry, the art historian David Tatham has suggested that Homer actually here depicted “farm cutting,” or the felling of trees on a family’s land (here the Baker farm) for its own use. The artist has telescoped two events—felling a tree and splitting logs— into dangerously close proximity.
MEDIUM
Wood engraving
DATES
1871
DIMENSIONS
Image: 12 1/8 x 9 1/8 in. (30.8 x 23.2 cm)
Sheet: 14 5/8 x 11 1/8 in. (37.1 x 28.3 cm)
Frame: 22 3/4 x 16 3/4 x 1 1/2 in. (57.8 x 42.5 x 3.8 cm)
SIGNATURE
Signed lower left: "J.P.DAVIS Sc."
ACCESSION NUMBER
1998.105.166
CREDIT LINE
Gift of Harvey Isbitts
MUSEUM LOCATION
This item is not on view
RECORD COMPLETENESS
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