The Fog Warning (Halibut Fishing)

1885

Not on view

Returned to lender

This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.

Homer often represented the arduous labor of North Atlantic fishermen, based on his experiences at Cullercoats and amplified by observations made around his home on the coast of Maine. In one series of paintings (also including Lost on the Grand Banks, and The Herring Net), he explored the inherent dangers of fishing the Grand Banks, the rich waters southeast of Newfoundland, where the cold Labrador Current converges with the relatively warm Gulf Stream. The meeting of these currents provides a fertile environment for fish, but it also makes the area one of the foggiest places on earth. This painting is infused with tension as the solo fisherman gazes toward the safety of the distant schooner and considers his　ability to reach it before the fog, looming on the horizon, settles.

Artwork Details

Overview

Title: The Fog Warning (Halibut Fishing)
Artist: Winslow Homer (American, Boston, Massachusetts 1836–1910 Prouts Neck, Maine)
Date: 1885
Culture: American
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 30 1/4 x 48 1/2 in. (76.83 x 123.19 cm)
Credit Line: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Anonymous gift with credit to the Otis Norcross Fund (94.72)
Curatorial Department: The American Wing