Artists Sketching in the White Mountains 1868

Winslow Homer sketched "Artists Sketching in the White Mountains" using graphite on paper. Consider the symbol of the artist, perpetually capturing the world. This motif echoes through art history, from medieval illuminations of scribes to Renaissance self-portraits, each capturing not just the external world, but the internal landscape of the artist. The umbrella, here a simple shield against the sun, recalls the protective canopies in Byzantine art, safeguarding sacred figures. This act of shielding suggests a psychological need for protection against the overwhelming forces of nature, transforming the landscape into a personal sanctuary. The very act of sketching becomes a ritual, a means of ordering and understanding the world. Like the ouroboros, the snake eating its own tail, the image of the artist circles back through time, each generation reflecting and reimagining the act of creation.