Governor's Wife, Santiago de Cuba
1885 Brooklyn Museum
About this artwork
This watercolor depicts a lone woman wearing a black veil standing on a terrace, rendered with a light, airy touch against a backdrop of distant hills and water. It was created during Homer's trip to Cuba in 1885, capturing the regional atmosphere through a delicate wash technique.
Did you know?
Winslow Homer visited Cuba in the winter of 1885, intending to illustrate a series for Century Magazine, but he found himself far more inspired by the Caribbean light than the political assignments. While he intended to focus on the island's bustling urban life, his work from this period is marked by these contemplative, solitary figures set against vast, atmospheric landscapes. This specific work exemplifies his mastery of the watercolor medium, showing how he could strip away detail to evoke the heat and brilliance of the tropics.
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Governor's Wife, Santiago de Cuba
Winslow Homer, 1885
