Glass Windows, Bahamas

About this Brooklyn Icon

The Brooklyn Museum is commemorating its 200th anniversary by spotlighting 200 standout objects in its encyclopedic collection.

Winslow Homer is one of the most iconic artists of the 19th century, famous for his oils, watercolors, and prints, many of which were widely known from illustrations in popular magazines. In the winter of 1884-85, Homer traveled from his home in Maine to the Bahamas, creating a series of illustrations for Century Magazine that capture the dazzling light and color of the Caribbean islands. His watercolors depicted the architecture, the islands’ residents, flora and fauna, and natural features of the landscape. Glass Window Bridge, pictured here, was a naturally formed stone arch on the island of Eleuthera. Peering through its “window,” visitors see the deep blue expanse of what is likely the Atlantic Ocean to the northwest and the turquoise waters of the Bight of Eleuthera to the southeast. Homer deftly paints the effect of sunlight on the facets of stone, framing the distant view, which includes a boat. Over the last century, intense storms have eroded the stone that Homer saw on his visit, and the space is now spanned by a concrete bridge with a roadway.