1871
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Cutting a Figure is a 1871 by Winslow Homer, a Impressionism work, depicting Ice Skating, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
A young Black man stands in a formal suit, cutting a paper silhouette of a soldier. He looks straight at us, holding scissors and a piece of black paper. Light comes from the left, casting soft shadows across the table and wall. This painting was made just a few years after the Civil War ended. At the time, many people were trying to rebuild their lives, especially Black Americans gaining new freedoms. The soldier he’s cutting may represent someone who fought in the war, or hope for a better future. Homer often showed quiet, personal moments that still carry deep meaning. Look next at The Cleveland Museum of Art.
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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