Snap the Whip
1872 Metropolitan Museum of Art
About this artwork
An iconic American painting depicting a group of boys playing a game called 'snap the whip' in a field in front of a red schoolhouse. The work reflects the nostalgic theme of American childhood following the Civil War.
Did you know?
Winslow Homer painted this scene at a time when America was transitioning from a rural, agrarian society to an industrial one, making the innocence of country childhood a popular subject. The game 'snap the whip' was a common playground activity that served as a metaphor for the fragile national unity during the Reconstruction era following the American Civil War.
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Snap the Whip
Winslow Homer, 1872
