Shepherdess of Houghton Farm
1878 Clark Art Institute
About this artwork
This watercolor depicts a young woman resting on a grassy hillside surrounded by a flock of grazing sheep. It reflects Homer's focus on rural life and pastoral scenes during his post-Civil War career.
Did you know?
Homer painted this while visiting Houghton Farm in Mountainville, New York, a period when he began moving away from his earlier illustrations of urban life toward quiet, pastoral scenes. The farm provided a tranquil retreat where he could explore the interplay of light and shadow on the landscape, signaling a pivotal shift in his artistic development toward the mastery of watercolor that would define his later career.
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Shepherdess of Houghton Farm
Winslow Homer, 1878
