Artwork

"Hi! H-O-O-O! He Done Come. Jumboloro Tell You First."

"Hi! H-O-O-O!  He Done Come.  Jumboloro Tell You First.", by Winslow Homer, 1869
"Hi! H-O-O-O!  He Done Come.  Jumboloro Tell You First.", by Winslow Homer, 1869

"Hi! H-O-O-O! He Done Come. Jumboloro Tell You First." is a print by the Impressionist artist Winslow Homer. It dates from 1869 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Created in 1869, "Hi!

About this work

Overview

Created in 1869, "Hi! H-O-O-O! He Done Come. Jumboloro Tell You First" is a print by American artist Winslow Homer. Though best known for later marine paintings, this early work belongs to the period when Homer was transitioning from commercial illustration to fine art, documenting everyday American scenes through a graphic medium.

Subject & Meaning

The print captures a moment of rural or working‑class life, reflecting Homer’s interest in the ordinary activities of his contemporaries. Its title, rendered in colloquial dialect, suggests a narrative voice that emphasizes immediacy and local color, aligning the image with the artist’s broader aim to record American social realities.

Technique & Style

Executed as a print, the work employs line and tonal contrast typical of mid‑nineteenth‑century illustration. Homer’s handling shows a blend of precise draftsmanship inherited from his commercial training and a nascent observational quality that would later characterize his watercolors and oils, hinting at his evolving artistic language.

Context

The piece emerged during the Reconstruction era, a time when American artists increasingly turned to domestic subjects. Homer’s shift from illustration to fine art mirrored a national trend toward depicting the nation’s own landscapes and people, moving away from European academic models.

Legacy

Although less celebrated than his later marine scenes, this print illustrates an early stage in Homer’s development and contributes to understanding his comprehensive visual record of 19th‑century American life.

Artist & collection

Portrait of Winslow Homer

Artist

Winslow Homer

Winslow Homer (February 24, 1836 – September 29, 1910) was an American landscape painter and illustrator, best known for his marine subjects.

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: Cleveland Museum of Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.