Breezing Up

Out on the open water, four figures lean into the wind aboard a small sailboat marked "Gloucester" on its hull. A man and three boys ride the choppy waves, their craft tilting with the breeze while a distant schooner drifts along the horizon. Winslow Homer painted this scene in 1876, and it has since become one of the most beloved images in American art. The sense of motion is hard to miss, with the spray of the sea and the puffy clouds overhead giving the whole picture a feeling of energy and freedom.

Homer was an American realist who had earned a reputation as a Civil War illustrator before turning his attention to scenes of everyday life. There is more going on here than a pleasant day of sailing. Painted during the year of America's centennial, the work was often read as a hopeful look toward the nation's future, with the young boys representing a generation about to come of age. Homer reportedly reworked the painting several times, even removing an anchor that once sat in the boat, and his careful adjustments paid off. Today it hangs in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, where its salty air and bright optimism still draw a crowd.