The Blue Boat, 1892 by Winslow Homer

The Blue Boat is a work by Winslow Homer done in his favorite medium of watercolor, measuring about 15.1 by 21.5 inches. It is an outdoor scene depicting 2 men fishing from a small blue canoe. It is a work that is alive with color and motion, and the artist's perspective of a viewer some distance away allows for the addition of rich detail for the sky, the water, and the land.

The watercolor work was completed in 1892. It is thus a later product of his long career in naturalism, done after he had earned a reputation as one of the great American painters.

As an independent and successful artist, Homer painted the subjects of his choice. He lived near the sea for most of the latter half of his life, and many of his major works reflect his lifelong interest in related topics such as the sea, beaches, boats, and bathers.