The New Year – 1869 – Drawn by Winslow Homer (from "Harper's Weekly," Vol. XIII) 1869

Winslow Homer made this black and white wood engraving, "The New Year – 1869," for Harper's Weekly. Wood engraving is a relief printing technique, where the artist carves an image into the end grain of a block of wood, then applies ink to the surface and presses it onto paper. Consider the labor involved; the artist meticulously cut away areas of the woodblock to create the image we see. Lines, textures, and tonal values are built from groupings of tiny marks. The process requires patience, precision and expertise. Because this image was published in Harper's Weekly, it could be widely reproduced, printed, and disseminated. In this way, the engraving offered a new kind of access to art, which would have been very different from seeing a painting in a gallery. It was a commercial product, made possible by specialized skills and industrial printing processes. Yet Homer's artistry elevates this image beyond mere commodity, inviting us to reflect on the passage of time and the cycles of life. This reminds us that art can be found in unexpected places, blurring boundaries between fine art and commercial production.