Artwork

Another Year by the Old Clock

Another Year by the Old Clock, by Winslow Homer, 1870
Another Year by the Old Clock, by Winslow Homer, 1870

Another Year by the Old Clock is a print by the Impressionist artist Winslow Homer. It dates from 1870 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

The painting depicts a man and woman sitting together in a room, with the man holding a pipe and the woman holding a fan.

The painting depicts a man and woman sitting together in a room, with the man holding a pipe and the woman holding a fan. The room is dimly lit, with a clock visible in the background.

The man and woman are dressed in formal attire, suggesting a sense of elegance and refinement. The woman's fan and the man's pipe add to the sense of leisure and relaxation.

The painting's use of chiaroscuro creates a sense of depth and dimensionality, drawing the viewer's eye into the scene. Next, explore the work of artist Winslow Homer (American, 1836–1910).

Overview

Created in 1870, *Another Year by the Old Clock* is a print by American artist Winslow Homer. Though best known for his marine oil paintings and later watercolors, this work belongs to his early period when he was transitioning from commercial illustration to a more personal, studio‑based practice.

Subject & Meaning

The image presents a formally dressed man and woman seated together in a modest interior. The man holds a pipe, the woman a fan, and a muted clock hangs in the background. The composition suggests a quiet moment of domestic leisure, emphasizing the passage of time and the genteel rituals of middle‑class life in post‑Civil‑War America.

Technique & Style

Homer employs strong chiaroscuro, using contrasts of light and shadow to model the figures and give the room a three‑dimensional presence. The print’s line work and tonal gradations convey a dense, weighty atmosphere, reflecting the artist’s early interest in rendering volume and mood through simplified forms.

History & Provenance

The print was produced during Homer’s New York years, shortly after he left commercial illustration to focus on fine art. It was issued in limited numbers and circulated among collectors of the period, later entering museum collections that document his formative output before his celebrated marine and watercolor phases.

Context

The work appears at a time when American visual culture was shifting toward more intimate, genre‑type scenes that depicted everyday life. Homer’s choice of a domestic interior aligns with contemporary trends in genre painting, while his handling of light anticipates the more atmospheric effects he would later achieve in oil and watercolor.

Artist & collection

Portrait of Winslow Homer

Artist

Winslow Homer

Winslow Homer (February 24, 1836 – September 29, 1910) was an American landscape painter and illustrator, best known for his marine subjects.

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: Cleveland Museum of Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.