A Basket of Clams

Winslow Homer

1873 · Watercolor on wove paper · The American Wing

At Gloucester, Homer produced a series of watercolors focusing on the daily activities of local children, whether boating, helping with chores, or playing among the dunes and wharves. In A Basket of Clams, one of the earliest watercolors by the artist in The Met collection, Homer depicts two boys lugging their haul across the beach. The smaller figure appears to eye the dead shark ahead, while his older companion looks back, seemingly at the sailboat behind them. These two details—the shark and the ship—cast a shadow on an otherwise bright scene, subtly gesturing to threats the youth of this fishing village might someday face at sea.

Artist

Winslow Homer

Date

1873

Medium

Watercolor on wove paper

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Gift of Arthur G. Altschul, 1995