Coral Formation

1901

Not on view

Returned to lender

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

In Bermuda, Homer often focused on sites of natural splendor, including the island’s characteristic coral formations, as well as their geopolitical context. For much of the nineteenth century, Bermuda was the site of the British Navy’s headquarters in North America and the West Indies, and Homer’s watercolors often gesture to this military presence across the archipelago. Here, two red-coated soldiers, visible atop the coral formation at left, point across the water toward the Royal Dockyards on the distant horizon at right. Their brilliant jackets form a striking note against the vibrant azure water.

Artwork Details

Overview

Title: Coral Formation
Artist: Winslow Homer (American, Boston, Massachusetts 1836–1910 Prouts Neck, Maine)
Date: 1901
Culture: American
Medium: Watercolor and graphite on wove paper
Dimensions: 14 1/16 x 21 3/16 in. (35.7 x 53.8 cm)
Framed: 23 1/2 x 29 1/2 in. (59.7 x 74.9 cm)
Credit Line: Worcester Art Museum, Mass., Museum Purchase (1911.15)
Curatorial Department: The American Wing