Shooting the Rapids, Saguenay River

Winslow Homer

1905–10 · Oil on canvas with chalk · The American Wing

Homer family tradition recalls that this painting—left unfinished in the artist’s studio after his death in 1910—was inspired by a particularly perilous excursion down the rapids of the Saguenay River in remote Quebec. The frightened passenger, seen gripping the sides of the canoe, is Homer’s older brother, Charles, who was his frequent companion on fishing trips. Of the many images of men in boats painted across his career, it seems fitting that the last one remains in a liminal state, preserving the sense of imminent danger and unknown outcomes in a fraught encounter with nature. Homer’s family considered the painting complete in its essential details and donated it to The Met in 1911.

Artist

Winslow Homer

Date

1905–10

Medium

Oil on canvas with chalk

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Gift of Charles S. Homer, 1911