The Fox Hunt

When exhibited in 1893, the Darwinian aspect of the painting was immediately recognized by critics: "A fox makes his way through the snow, looking sharply at his enemies— two huge crows which are swooping down to devour him, in which their hunger, made savage by the snowstorm, which has covered their usual hunting-ground. Other crows hover restlessly in the distance. A twig or two of last summer's wild-rose bush is the only graceful note in the picture, redeeming sufficiently the somber character of the scene". The influence of Japanese design on Homer's work has been noted generally, and particularly in The Fox Hunt, with the observation that the painting can be divided into three vertical panels, thereby creating "a perfect Japanese screen". The Fox Hunt was purchased from the artist in 1894 by the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, after it was exhibited in the academy's annual show.