This exhibition brings dozens of the MFA’s Homer watercolors back into the galleries for a new generation to experience, alongside a selection of related oils, drawings, and prints by the artist. With material ranging from Homer’s childhood drawings all the way to his final canvas, left unfinished at the time of his death, visitors can follow the major chapters in his career and learn about the various environments—ecological, artistic, social, and economic—that shaped his enduring work in watercolor.

American artist Winslow Homer (1836–1910) transformed the medium of watercolor through his relentless spirit of experimentation. His luminous views transport viewers to the rugged Maine coast, the Adirondack Mountains, seaside England, sun-drenched Caribbean waters, and beyond. The MFA houses the largest collection of Homer’s watercolors in the world, though the works’ fragility and sensitivity to light means they have not been displayed together in nearly half a century.