Watercolor box owned by Winslow Homer

The mid-nineteenth to early twentieth century was an exciting time in the development of artists’ materials in Europe and the United States. A new generation of colorants, papers, and other materials offered artists, illustrators, and designers innovative ways to express their vision. An understanding of these materials deepens our appreciation of their work, pulling us into the moment of...

Among the remains of Homer’s studio materials are two Winsor and Newton “Japanned tin boxes” containing moist watercolor cakes (see page 206, figure 1). The container's functional design and the qualities of the cakes shaped the way in which Homer mixed and applied watercolor, as shown in For to Be a Farmer's Boy (figure c). …