A Visit from the Old Mistress

A Visit from the Old Mistress is a painting to be found at the Smithsonian Museum of American Art which was created by Winslow Homer in 1876. It is a further display of his considerable talents as a figurative painter, even though he remains most famous today for his seascape paintings.

The scene features a number of women within a dimly-lit room. Detail is relatively sparse across the background, and intead our full focus is placed upon the women in the foreground. Several items of clothing are delivered in white tones which stand out, and the attire also indicates the social status of the people in this painting. Homer regularly commented on social issues within his work but normally did so in a relatively subtle manner, meaning that those who were after pure aesthetic enjoyment would have that too. His scenes tended to be outdoors, with brighter light than found here, and so A Visit from the Old Mistress offers something slightly different to his oeuvre. It can be found at the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, with Homer himself playing an important role in bringing a new unique nature to art from this young and exciting nation. Whilst influenced by European artists, he focused on US themes almost exclusvely which was somewhat rare at the time, even within the US itself. His boldness continued into the African American community, where he would cover black people in a way that other artists at the time would avoid, and Homer continued to work openly throughout his life.

This piece from 1876 focuses on life in the south of the country, just after the American Civil War had concluded. The relationship between workers and the boss has now changed, with previous formalities now unnecessary. One can see a figure sitting down, unwilling to greet the lady to the right in the same manner that previously she was forced to. It therefore represents a greater freedom, a starting point, but this transition would take time to adjust to and different figures in the painting would handle it in a different way. Virginia is believed to have been the specific region of the US which inspired this painting. Homer travelled through it, drawing as he went. He would then turn some of these sketches into fully formed paintings once back in his own studio. He was an observant individual who would feature some of these behavioural and social situations in his work, for those that could spot them. Others preferred simply to enjoy the aesthetic nature of his paintings and were not concerned about any potential messages that might lie within them.

Art history can often play an important role in dissecting society, providing a visual analysis of the status of the time. Many artworks, when carefully crafted, can convey so much within a single work, which some might also find easier to connect with than the written word. Homer himself devoted his life to capturing scenes of American life and this was a relatively, or at least rare, development within this country. Americans could now see their own communities within art galleries, rather than a replication of European ideas. His achievements encouraged others to follow in his footsteps and the country would start to build genuinely innovative art movements of its own for the first time. Today, cities such as New York lead the way in this regard, where as previously it would be the likes of Rome, Florence and Paris who held the influence over western art.