The Fox Hunt

Today it is the first day of winter!  :)

After 1890, Winslow Homer frequently depicted “naturalist” subjects:  hunting and fishing in the Adirondacks and coastal or marine views at Prouts Neck, Maine. Here, we see a fox running in deep snow, menaced by hungry crows. This largest single work of his has been described as “Homer's greatest Darwinian painting, arguably his greatest painting of any kind.” The artist has dramatized the brutal realities of winter on the Maine coast by showing a fox desperately bounding through deep snow in an attempt to flee a flock of half-starved crows. The birds descend ominously with outstretched wings, forming a dark hovering mass above the struggling fox. That viewers witness the scene from the fox’s vantage point heightens the sense of tension and empathy. Homer’s carefully designed composition, indebted to his study of Japanese woodblock prints, supports the unfolding drama.

This painting, among the other amazing ones, is featured in our 2022 DailyArt Weekly Desk Calendar. Please check it out here.  :)

P.S. Here you can read a fascinating story of Winslow Homer's explorations of beautiful American landscape.  :)