National Songs of America - Sheet Music Cover — Winslow Homer

ABOUT THIS WORK

This sheet music cover, titled "National Songs of America," showcases a dynamic patriotic scene. A woman, personifying Lady Liberty, stands at the center, surrounded by symbols of American pride. She holds a flag, its stars and stripes billowing around her, while a bald eagle, a powerful national emblem, perches at her side. The lithograph's composition, with its clear outlines and dramatic contrast of light and dark, draws the eye to these iconic figures. Created around 1856, this work reflects a period when the market for illustrations was rapidly expanding, and such imagery helped to shape a burgeoning national identity through popular culture. This early work by Winslow Homer, made during his apprenticeship, offers a glimpse into his foundational years as a commercial illustrator, a role he would hold for nearly two decades before turning primarily to painting.

DETAILS

Artist: Winslow Homer
Date: 1851
Medium: lithograph
Location: Cleveland Museum of Art
Dimensions: [object Object]
Collection: Prints
Culture: America
Credit line: Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund

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What to Notice

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National Songs of America - Sheet Music Cover

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01

Flag bearer

At upper right, a kneeling soldier clutches a tall staff with a large starred flag. The banner's heavy folds rise over the battle scene and anchor the whole top half.

1 of 5 on the painting

02

Standing allegorical woman

On the left, a robed woman stands holding a tall staff topped with an ornament. She reads as an allegorical figure, perhaps a personification of the nation, and she stands calmly beside the soldiers' action.

2 of 5 on the painting

03

Battle in the mist

Between the two figures, tiny soldiers march and fight beneath banners, with smoke fading into the pale paper. Look closely, because the drama is far smaller than the frame suggests.

3 of 5 on the painting

04

Field workers medallion

In the lower left circle, laborers bend over crops in a hilly farm scene with haystacks. It offers a peaceful, working-life counterpart to the war scene above.

4 of 5 on the painting

05

Capitol building medallion

The right circle shows a large domed building with small figures and a horse in front. It looks like a government building, possibly a capitol, and its orderly lines contrast with the farm scene opposite.

5 of 5 on the painting

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THE ARTIST