Excerpt from Modern American Art: Thirty Photogravures of Painting and Statuary by American ArtistsA graduate of the schools of the National Academy, of which he has long been a prominent member, he went to the war in 1860 and furnished sketches to Harper's Weekly and other illustrated papers. In and following the war times came his first successes, which were not followed by that constant and increasing appreciation which is almost always the lot of men who make their mark in other professions. Especially did Prisoners from the Front, an oil painting formerly in the gallery of Mr. John Taylor johnston, make an epoch in his career. The Union officer is a portrait of General Francis C. Barlow and the prisoners are types of Southern swashbucklers, youths and graybeards. At this period Mr. Homer was by no means certain of his drawing of the figure, more especially of the female figure, and in this respect, as well as in the management of color, showed a lack of suppleness of mind. About 1867, when he traveled in Europe, it was supposed that the Sight of the perfection of technical processes reached by foreign artists would improve his own workmanship. But here that obtuseness so unlike the alarming precocity of some American youths showed itself once more. He looked, he saw, doubtless he understood. But the character native to the man was too much for him. Shall we say that it was a pity No for it is just this slowness to take suggestions that has made Mr. Homer, with all his limitations. The refreshing, the original artist he is.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully, any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.