Figure 1.--The children in Homer's rural scenes mostly seem to come from the the pre-Civil War era, the 1840s and 50s. The boys wear rounded hats with brims. Many look like straw hats. The shirts are long seeves looking like they were made from homespin. The boys wear long pants. Some are a bit above the ankle because they have out grown them. There are no overalls yet. Commonly the boys are barefooted.

The children in Homer's rural scenes mostly seem to come from the the pre-Civil War era, the 1840s and 50s. It is thus not surprising that Homer was Mark Twain's favorite artist. The boys Homer paints could have come right from Twain's books. The boys wear rounded hats with brims. Many look like straw hats. The shirts are long seeves looking like they were made from homespin. The boys wear long pants. Some are a bit above the ankle because they have out grown them. There are no overalls yet. These come later in American history. Commonly the boys are barefooted. Often they are fishing or playing. Sometimes they are depicted at one room schools, usually playing outside at recess. Here they are just having a quiet chat on a nice summer day. While Homer is a decidely American artist, there is a universilaity among these images of children. We note, for example, that Oxford University Press used this Homer image to illustrate the cover of a 1989 edition of Bevis, Richard Jefferies charming 1882 book about a Wiltshire childhood.

Created: April 5, 2004
Last updated: April 5, 2004