Hoyt to feature exhibit of Winslow Homer works

THE VINDICATOR

NEW CASTLE, Pa. — Winslow Homer enthusiasts can experience some of the artist’s work at the Hoyt Institute of Fine Arts next year.

His work will be part of the Hoyt’s next exhibit Jan. 8 to Feb. 29.

Homer first rose in popularity in the 19th century as an illustrator for Harper’s Weekly and other periodicals, recording Acts of Congress, the Civil War, and rural American life; then for his oils and watercolors exploring man’s relationship with nature, in particular the sea. 

Homer was dubbed “Poet of the Sea” for his realistic paintings of the sea. 

This fascination with our global waters set the tone for the President’s Circle Preview of “Winslow Homer: The Illustrator” at the Hoyt last week.

Homer enthusiasts who are unable to make the dinner concert can learn more about the artist’s affinity for the sea at a public reception from 2 to 4 p.m. Jan. 13. Ellen Lippert, professor of art at Thiel College, will present a lecture at 3 p.m. on the role of Homer’s illustrations in the development of the artist from lithographer’s apprentice to accomplished illustrator to “Poet of the Sea.”

Included in the exhibit are the seashore vignettes created for the journals of the day, but also scenes from the Civil War, urban living and rural life, including the woodblock predating the infamous “Snap the Whip” in the Butler Institute of Fine Art’s collection.

XThe exhibit is supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.  For more information or tickets, call (724) 652-2882.