The Short Answer (TSA)
16 April 2015
“Kissing
the Moon” is a painting by American Realist artist Winslow Homer
(1836-1910). The painting’s title,
“Kissing the Moon,” is clearly suggested by the scene. The phrase “kissing the moon” had no prior
nautical meaning.
Homer, like
many American artists, never developed a style imitative of the familiar French
Impressionism of his time. But, like the
impressionists, American Realists rejected a photographic reproduction of
scenes. Rather, they favored more of an illustrator’s approximation of real
appearance. And, like the
impressionists, American artists, also, rejected self-consciously posed studio
scenes in favor of genre scenes – scenes of men in women engaged in ordinary
activities and, apparently, unaware of the artist’s presence.
Homer’s career, like those of so many artists, had more than its share of financial struggle. But, unlike most artists, even in youth, Homer received widespread critical acclaim for his work. He survived, during most of his early career, by working as an illustrator for popular magazines and became widely known for his depictions of scenes of the Civil War while on assignment for Harper’s Weekly.
Homer’s artistic style continued to evolve throughout his life. “Kissing the Moon” was painted rather late in Homer’s life, in1904, when the artist was in his late 60’s.
I’ll leave off at this point because I don’t want or need to say too much. Art is one of those things that, in the end, must speak for itself.
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