Met Custom Prints
Home

Winslow Homer

Fishing Boats, Key West

Home
About
Help
View Bag
Shop The Met Store

About the Artwork

Fishing Boats, Key West, 1903. Winslow Homer. Watercolor and graphite on off-white wove paper. Amelia B. Lazarus Fund, 1910.
Few of Homer’s watercolors rival this one for its effects of simmering sunlight and steamy atmosphere, achieved through the speed of application of wet on wet washes, the broad and dexterous exploitation of the white paper reserve, and the judicious sponging of wet pigment, especially in the shadows, reflecting light off the water. This picture is also exceptional for the number and visibility of its pencil marks, not only to indicate some of the boats’ rigging (and betraying the pentimento of a sloop in the background that the artist edited out) but also to enliven the rustle of the sailcloth lifted by a phantom breeze. By contrast, Homer, in masterly fashion, merely daubed in the figures freehand, sacrificing nothing of their form and weight; they even seem to speak.

Popular Images

About Our Prints

Quality
Met Custom Prints offers exclusive custom reproductions of artworks in The Met collection. Thanks to gallery-quality materials, we create prints as true to the original work as possible, using strict color management protocols and state-of-the-art printing technology.
Selection
This is the only place you’ll find reproductions approved by The Metropolitan Museum of Art. We are continually adding new artworks to our offering, so be sure to check back regularly as you build your own gallery. A variety of molding styles means our custom framed prints can match any type of decor.

Member Discounts

Met Members will receive their 15% discount for all Met Custom Prints purchases. If you are Member, when you check out enter your member ID and the last name associated with your membership; once your Membership has been validated, your discount will be applied. Member discounts cannot be combined with other offers.