Four Studies of Soldiers’ Heads 1863 - 1864

Winslow Homer likely made this pencil sketch, 'Four Studies of Soldiers’ Heads', during the American Civil War. Homer worked as a freelance artist, embedding with the Union Army to produce illustrations for Harper's Weekly. More than straightforward portraiture, these sketches reflect the social conditions of wartime America. Note the weary expressions and the symbolic act of smoking, perhaps a means of coping with the stress and trauma of war. What do these images tell us about the experience of the common soldier? How might they have been received by a public hungry for images from the front lines? Homer's work occupies a contested space between objective reportage and subjective interpretation. To fully understand this work, we might consider the history of photojournalism and popular print media in the 19th century. It's in these institutions that artists found both opportunity and constraint. Ultimately, Homer’s sketches are powerful reminders of the human cost of war and the complex relationship between art and social reality.