1882
gouache
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Mending the Nets is a 1882 gouache by Winslow Homer, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
Two women sit on a cobblestone street, fixing a fishing net. One holds a spool of thread while the other stitches. Their clothes are simple—drab but clean—and the woman on the left wears a headscarf. A wooden stool and a basket of mending supplies sit beside them. The background is plain, with a dark doorway and a hint of a net hanging nearby. This painting shows everyday work, not grand scenes. The artist used watercolor in a loose, sketchy way, letting the paper show through. The colors are muted, focusing on the task at hand. Look up watercolor to see how artists use thin layers of paint to build light and shadow.
Winslow Homer (February 24, 1836 – September 29, 1910) was an American landscape painter and illustrator, best known for his marine subjects.
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