Explore Winslow Homer’s life and the events that inspired him to paint The Fog Warning. Learn how Homer’s realism advances democratic values and offers a compelling view of American history.

For a larger, more responsive, format select this link http://bit.ly/McQStudios108 or paste the url into your browser.

The correct placement of the 12 puzzle pieces presents the backstory to Winslow Homer’s The Fog Warning. Explore his distinctly American art. Analyze the people and events that inspired him. Learn how his approach to painting evolved and he grew as a self-taught artist.

Homer’s realism can also be read as vivid historical records. While creating objective illustrations as a frontline Civil War correspondent, Homer’s paintings recorded the war’s modern technology and democratic nature. Then he turned his talents to depicting the changing role of women in post-Civil War society, New England’s farmers, and former slaves during Reconstruction. Throughout his career Homer documented the lives of average Americans in a straightforward, spontaneous manner, focusing especially on the people who lived and worked on the edges of the sea. Through these paintings viewers learn about their hard work, harrowing existence, and daily heroism. At every turn Homer offers a unique view of 19^th century America, and the people who lived on its backroads and byways.

Related Resources

• Winslow Homer’s The Fog Warning is in the Boston Museum of Fine Art’s collection. See the website for detailed information. Select the image to magnify.
• This animated timeline vividly displays Winslow Homer’s artistic progression and America’s post-Civil War society.
• This game-show format reviews key learnings from “Puzzled by The Fog Warning?” in a friendly, team-building competition.
• This fast-paced game explores Homer’s art and how his paintings chronicle America’s post-Civil War society.
• This interdisciplinary teacher’s resource offers a range of teaching moves and language for analyzing The Fog Warning.
• This game-based art survey analyzes the art of Winslow Homer and eight other 19^th century realist painters.
• This art-based writing lesson use The Fog Warning as mentor art for teaching the value of thoughtful titles.
• This inquiry study uses The Fog Warning as a springboard to explore harrowing existence of fishermen off the Grand Banks.