Inspired by: Winslow Homer - The Gulf Stream
Homer painted Gulf Stream the year after his father’s death. It may be an expression of his feelings of abandonment and vulnerability, or it could have been a shot at the critics. This painting was very important to him. When standing for a photo in his Prouts Neck studio (a very rare event) he chose it as his background.
When it was first exhibited, many critics were more interested in the “frolicking” sharks than the plight of the mariner. When asked for an explanation of the painting, Homer said: "I regret very much that I have painted a picture that requires any description.” That might seem a touch curt, but toward the end of his life, Homer became a bit of a recluse. Like his paintings, he became isolated, and promoted the image of “the hermit of Prouts Neck”. He didn’t want visitors at his studio when he was working, and it’s said that he would raise a flag when he was ready for his lunch order to be delivered from the nearby Black Point Inn.
To see the original: http://bit.ly/4net9po
