Eight Bells

Within Eight Bells, Winslow Homer continues to investigate the relationship between man and sea. these marine paintings would become the biggest highlight of his career, even though he impressed within many other genres as well.

The scene itself features two sailors in the foreground with technical equipment. They are clearly gauging the natural conditions of the day, and in the background we see a lively seascape, with cloudy sky above. Eight Bells was produced using oils, but Winslow Homer also achieved a mastery of watercolours within his career as well. The two techniques helped to bring different aspects to his oeuvre, and were also both suited to his work with landscapes and seascapes. This particular painting can be found in the permanent collection of the Addison Gallery of American Art, which is based in Massachusetts, USA. Homer must rank as one of the biggest names in their collection and he holds a key place in the history of American art. His work also captured the beauty of this nation's natural landscape, in a similar way to how the Hudson River School had covered its more mountainous regions. Eight Bells itself was finished in 1886, with this decade being a particularly productive one for Winslow Homer who had certainly reached the peak of his powers by this stage.

The term eight bells is a reference to methods of telling the time whilst out at sea. A series of bell strikes would represent a particular time across the day, though eight bells could actually refer to any of 4, 8 or 12 o'clock. Once we are aware of this, we can then spot elements of the ship on which they are stood, which underlines the meaning of the title and the precise setting found in front of us here. The two figures hold instruments in their hands, with an octant being used to track the position of the sun, whilst the other man is reading from his own tool. Winslow Homer was clearly interested in elements of this painting because he would produce further versions of it, though in different mediums and with slight alterations to the composition each time. Research into the artist's career has revealed that he would struggle to sell oil paintings at this time and so chose to revert to other mediums for a period. Despite his academic success, the market was struggling at this stage and even great American artists like Homer would not be able to profit from their work in quite the same way that they used to.

Eight Bells was completed in 1886, before being exhibited two years later. It was well received, and captured the efforts of man to deal with, and almost control, nature. Their is a sense of confidence and competence to these two sailors which suggests experience and an ability to adapt to changing conditions whilst on their voyage. Homer would also offer alternative moods in which humanity was very much at the mercy of nature, providing an honest reflection of man's attempts to deal with the environment around us all. It would be his seascapes that perhaps became his most popular genre, though he also worked in other fields too. The alternative versions of this piece included an etching in the following year and some study drawings. Despite his problems in selling art at this time, Homer's stock has risen significantly over the years and many now consider him to have been one of the finest American painters of all time.