Snap the Whip
1872 Butler Institute of American Art
About this artwork
This oil on canvas depicts a group of barefoot boys playing the game 'Snap the Whip' in a field in front of a rural schoolhouse. It is one of the most recognizable and celebrated images of American childhood in the 19th century.
Did you know?
Winslow Homer painted this scene in 1872, capturing a moment of American rural life following the Civil War. The game of 'Snap the Whip' acts as a metaphor for the unity and fragility of the nation at the time, as the boys try to hold on to one another while running at high speeds. It remains one of the artist's most iconic works and has been replicated in multiple versions.
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Snap the Whip
Winslow Homer, 1872
