The Nurse 1867

Winslow Homer painted this image of a woman with oil on canvas, and titled it ‘The Nurse’. Painted during a time of changing social roles in post-Civil War America, the painting shows a woman, possibly a caregiver, standing by a body of water, shielding herself from the sun with a parasol. The muted colors and introspective mood evoke a sense of quiet contemplation. Homer often depicted scenes of everyday life, but here he also offers a glimpse into the evolving role of women in society. Images like this one tell us about the gender roles of late 19th century America, where women were beginning to participate in the workplace, yet the roles of motherhood and caregiving still tied them to the domestic sphere. To understand it better, we might look to census records, literature, and other visual media to understand the lived realities of women in the United States during the late 1800s. Through such resources, we can better understand the complex relationship between art and social change.