ticketsMember | Make a donation

Shooting the Rapids, Saguenay River

Winslow Homer American
1905–10
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 770
Homer family tradition recalls that this painting—left unfinished in the artist’s studio after his death in 1910—was inspired by a particularly perilous excursion down the rapids of the Saguenay River in remote Quebec. The frightened passenger, seen gripping the sides of the canoe, is Homer’s older brother, Charles, who was his frequent companion on fishing trips. Of the many images of men in boats painted across his career, it seems fitting that the last one remains in a liminal state, preserving the sense of imminent danger and unknown outcomes in a fraught encounter with nature. Homer’s family considered the painting complete in its essential details and donated it to The Met in 1911.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Shooting the Rapids, Saguenay River
  • Artist: Winslow Homer (American, Boston, Massachusetts 1836–1910 Prouts Neck, Maine)
  • Date: 1905–10
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Oil on canvas with chalk
  • Dimensions: 30 x 48 1/4 in. (76.2 x 122.6 cm)
    Framed: 39 7/8 x 58 x 3 1/2 in. (101.3 x 147.3 x 8.9 cm)
  • Credit Line: Gift of Charles S. Homer, 1911
  • Object Number: 11.57
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Annie Lawrie (Sheet music cover), Winslow Homer American, Lithograph
Annie Lawrie (Sheet music cover)
Multiple artists/makers
1850–59
Sunday Morning in Virginia – From the Painting by Winslow Homer in the National Academy of Design (from "Harper's Weekly," Vol. XXIV), Winslow Homer American, Wood engraving
Sunday Morning in Virginia – From the Painting by Winslow Homer in the National Academy of Design (from "Harper's Weekly," Vol. XXIV)
Winslow Homer
May 22, 1880
A Quiet Day in the Country (from "Appleton's Journal," Vol. III), Winslow Homer American, Wood engraving
A Quiet Day in the Country (from "Appleton's Journal," Vol. III)
Winslow Homer
D. Appleton & Co.
June 6, 1870
George Blake's Letter (The Galaxy, An Illustrated Magazine of Entertaining Reading, Vol. IX), Winslow Homer American, Wood engraving
George Blake's Letter (The Galaxy, An Illustrated Magazine of Entertaining Reading, Vol. IX)
Winslow Homer
January 1870
"I Cannot! It Would Be a Sin! A Fearful Sin!" (The Galaxy, An Illustrated Magazine of Entertaining Reading, Vol. VI), Winslow Homer American, Wood engraving
"I Cannot! It Would Be a Sin! A Fearful Sin!" (The Galaxy, An Illustrated Magazine of Entertaining Reading, Vol. VI)
Winslow Homer
September 1868

Related Content

Timeline of Art History

Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.