Artwork
Dad's Coming!
Dad's Coming! is an oil painting by the American Impressionist artist Winslow Homer. It dates from 1873 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower left: WINSLOW HOMER / 1873
About this work
Technique & Style
The handling is tight and controlled, with smooth, blended transitions in the figures and a restrained palette dominated by earth tones and muted greens.
Executed in oil on a wood panel, the painting measures 22.9 cm in height and 34.9 cm in width. The handling is tight and controlled, with smooth, blended transitions in the figures and a restrained palette dominated by earth tones and muted greens. The composition centers on a young girl in a red dress seated on a wooden bench, her gaze directed toward an unseen arrival, while a broom and basket at her feet suggest domestic activity.
The brushwork is refined, avoiding visible impasto, and the lighting is evenly diffused, creating a calm, anticipatory mood.
History & Provenance
Winslow Homer created the oil-on-wood painting Dad's Coming! in 1873. The work's earliest documented ownership belongs to Joseph Harper, Jr. of New York, who lent it to the National Academy of Design annual exhibition in 1874. The painting remained within the Harper family for several generations, passing from Joseph to his son William, then to William's son John, and subsequently by inheritance to John's wife, Olive E. Harper (later Mrs. Grismer) in Hollywood, California.
By 1946, the work was held by dealer Pierre F. Nesi in Beverly Hills before moving to Wildenstein & Co. in New York by 1948. Paul Mellon purchased the painting in January 1954, keeping it at his Upperville, Virginia estate. Upon his death in 1999, Mellon bequeathed the piece to the National Gallery of Art, where it entered the collection in 2001 following the release of a life interest held by his wife.
The painting is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., having entered the institution through a 1999 bequest from Paul Mellon. Mellon originally purchased the work in January 1954, retaining a life interest for his wife that was released in 2001. Prior to this acquisition, the piece remained within the Harper family following its creation in 1873, passing from Joseph Harper, Jr. to his descendants until 1946.
Regarding its exhibition history, Joseph Harper, Jr. lent the work to the National Academy of Design annual exhibition in 1874. Later, while in the possession of Wildenstein & Co., the painting was loaned to an exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum in 1948.
Overview
Winslow Homer completed Dad's Coming! in 1873, an oil painting rendered on a wood panel. This genre scene captures a tranquil moment on a coastline, featuring figures gazing towards the distant sea. The work exemplifies Homer's interest in everyday life and the relationship between people and the natural environment, particularly maritime settings.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a coastal tableau, where two women and a child are positioned on a sandy shore. One woman, dressed in white, cradles a child on her hip, while another rests within a small boat. All figures direct their gaze towards the horizon, where sailboats are visible.
The painting's title, Dad's Coming!, implies an anticipation of arrival, imbuing the calm scene with a narrative of domestic expectation.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Winslow Homer (February 24, 1836 – September 29, 1910) was an American landscape painter and illustrator, best known for his marine subjects.
