Artwork
Mending the Nets
Mending the Nets is a gouache drawing by the Impressionist artist Winslow Homer. It dates from 1882 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Winslow Homer’s 1882 work titled Mending the Nets is a watercolor drawing executed on wove paper. The composition depicts a quiet street scene in which two women are engaged in repairing a fishing net, emphasizing a moment of ordinary labor rather than a dramatic narrative.
Subject & Meaning
The figures are seated on a cobblestone pavement; one woman holds a spool of thread while the other stitches, both dressed in modest, plain clothing, the left figure covered by a simple headscarf. A wooden stool and a basket of mending tools lie nearby, suggesting the routine nature of their work and the communal aspects of coastal life.
Technique & Style
Homer employs a combination of transparent and opaque watercolor applied over a graphite underdrawing. The handling is loose and sketch‑like, allowing the white of the paper to remain visible and creating a subdued palette that concentrates attention on the activity rather than decorative detail.
History & Provenance
Created in 1882, the piece reflects Homer’s interest in the lives of New England fishermen and their families during the post‑Civil War period. It remains a representative example of his late‑career focus on everyday scenes rendered in watercolor.
Artist & collection
Artist
Winslow Homer (February 24, 1836 – September 29, 1910) was an American landscape painter and illustrator, best known for his marine subjects.
