2026 MFA Boston Winslow Homer Watercolors Wall Calendar

Winslow Homer (1836–1910) was a 25-year-old lithographer and illustrator at Harper’s magazine when the publisher sent him to the frontlines of the Civil War in 1861 to sketch battle scenes and camp life. His work as a quick-sketch artist would serve him well after the war when he took up painting watercolor landscapes and scenes of rural American life, often by the sea. His skills at observation and quickness give his paintings an immediacy and freshness that reflect his New England upbringing and they are beloved today for capturing an American way of life—simplicity caught by sophisticated hand. The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, has an extensive collection of Homer’s watercolors, 13 of which are featured in this 2026, paired with informative text.