Glass Windows, Bahamas

Winslow Homer

Brooklyn Museum photograph

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.

Caption

Winslow Homer (American, 1836–1910). Glass Windows, Bahamas, ca. 1885. Watercolor and graphite on paper, 13 15/16 x 20 1/16 in. (35.4 x 51 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Collection Fund and Special Subscription, 11.545. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)

Gallery

Not on view

Collection

American Art

Title

Glass Windows, Bahamas

Date

ca. 1885

Medium

Watercolor and graphite on paper

Classification

Watercolor

Dimensions

13 15/16 x 20 1/16 in. (35.4 x 51 cm)

Signatures

Signed lower right: "Winslow Homer"

Credit Line

Museum Collection Fund and Special Subscription

Accession Number

11.545

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