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1860 Winslow Homer Framed Wood Engraving "Skating on the Ladies' Skating-Pond in the Central Park, New York"
This is how New Yorkers had fun in 1860 in Central Park. Winslow Homer loved skating scenes and as noted by an expert on his engravings, this is one of his best,
"Winslow Homer's Magazine Engravings," Philip C. Beam, New York, 1979, at pp. 12-13. The author of "The Life and Work of Winslow Homer," Gordon Hendricks (New York, 1979) also thinks well of this work, featuring the engraving on page 41 and after criticizing one of Homer's works says,
This wonderful print provides a very early look at the landscape architecture masterpiece of Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux, Central Park in New York City. This view of Central Park was published in January, 1860, very early in the park's development and before the one we are offering that was published in September of 1860. According to Olmsted, the park was "of great importance as the first real Park made in this century – a democratic development of the highest significance..." The design of Olmstead and Vaux won the open competition in 1857 and the Park was not officially opened until 1873, so this engraving shows very much the start of the process of park development rather than the end. The publisher based in New York City provides a description of the park published in September that is full of civic pride. It says the two page engraving is
Below are two close-up pictures of the engraving, the first showing Homer's signature in the bottom left corner and the next the figures in the center of the engraving.
The engraving is matted, framed and glazed in Plexiglas, ready to hang on your wall. It is a charming picture of early New York and its most famous Central Park before it was dedicated. Price: $200 Pay securely with credit card through PayPal by clicking the button below
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