Two Horses, One Mounted

Winslow Homer's sketch depicts two horses with mounted and standing figures, rendered in quick pen strokes characteristic of field studies. Homer, best known for his Civil War reportage and later seascapes, used such drawings as studies for finished works and illustrations. The spare, economical line work and compositional arrangement reflect the artist's training as an illustrator for Harper's Weekly, where his battlefield scenes reached mass audiences during the 1860s. These sketches reveal the working process behind Homer's more finished compositions and his mastery of animal anatomy—essential skills for an artist documenting military campaigns and rural American life.