Cutting a Figure
1871
Winslow Homer
American, 1836-1910
American Art
The fashionable little coquette in this image functions as a charming seasonal “pin-up.” The title plays on two meanings of “cutting a figure”—referring both to the girl’s stylishness and to her pursuit of literally cutting a pattern in the ice. Homer created a fine picture that evokes the chill atmosphere and is filled with subtle compositional tensions, such as the relationship of the tree and its reflection in the ice that forms a rigid line along the length of the girl’s body.
- Maker/Artist
- Homer, Winslow
- Classification
- Formatted Medium
- Wood engraving
- Dimensions
- Image: 12 7/8 x 19 7/8 in. (32.7 x 50.5 cm) Sheet: 11 1/8 x 14 5/8 in. (28.3 x 37.1 cm) Frame: 22 3/4 x 28 3/4 x 1 1/2 in. (57.9 x 73 x 3.8 cm)
- Departments
- American Art
- Accession Number
- 1998.105.167
- Credit Line
- Gift of Harvey Isbitts
- Exhibitions
- Winslow Homer: Illustrating America
- Rights Statement
- No known copyright restrictions
- Museum Location
- This item is not on view
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