The Life Brigade
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.At Cullercoats, Homer painted almost exclusively in watercolor; this remarkably bold oil sketch was likely produced after his return to the United States. Inspired by scenes of rescue and his admiration for the local volunteer lifesaving crews that he had witnessed in action, the artist evokes a transitional moment as the team on shore anticipates their encounter with a roiling sea. Broadly painted and pared down to the most essential narrative details, the work emphasizes imminent danger, adventure, and nature’s threat.
Artwork Details
- Title: The Life Brigade
- Artist: Winslow Homer (American, Boston, Massachusetts 1836–1910 Prouts Neck, Maine)
- Date: ca. 1882
- Culture: American
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 12 × 17 3/8 in. (30.5 × 43.8 cm)
Framed: 20 1/2 x 25 1/4 in. (52.1 x 64.1 cm) - Credit Line: Myron Kunin Collection of American Art, Minneapolis (1997.12.04.1)
- Rights and Reproduction: Midwest Art Conservation Center
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing