Shooting the Rapids, Saguenay River
1905-1907 Metropolitan Museum of Art
About this artwork
This large-scale oil painting depicts three men in a canoe navigating turbulent rapids in the Saguenay River region of Quebec. It was one of the last major works by Homer and remained in his studio at the time of his death.
Did you know?
Winslow Homer spent significant time in the Canadian wilderness observing the expertise of Indigenous guides, which inspired this powerful composition. Interestingly, Homer worked on this piece for several years; he initially painted the figures in a static position, but later added the dynamic, splashing water and adjusted the men's posture to heighten the sense of danger and adrenaline. It is considered a masterpiece of his late career, capturing the struggle between man and the raw, untamable force of nature.
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Shooting the Rapids, Saguenay River
Winslow Homer, 1905-1907
