North Road, Bermuda

As he got older, in order to escape the harsh conditions on Maine's winters, Homer made frequent trips to Cuba, Nassau, and Bermuda. In this watercolor, Homer juxtaposed the shade of the island's trees with the intense blue of the sea, while depicting a single ocean liner in the distance to lead our eye through the composition. Homer did watercolors throughout his career as a source of income, but these works were a source of pride for the artist. He once said, "In the future, I will live by my watercolors," and indeed his works in this medium are today the most prized in American art. Homer was born in Boston, receiving his first formal artistic training as an apprentice to a lithographer. After additional private study, Homer moved to New York in 1859 to study at the National Academy of Design, while working as a freelance illustrator. He gained national renown for the Civil War scenes he illustrated for "Harper's Weekly." In 1866, Homer traveled to Paris and exhibited in the Salon of that year. He shared a studio in Montmartre with Albert Warren Kelsey, before returning to New York. In 1872, Homer established a studio in the famous Tenth Street Studio Building, home to many Hudson River School artists.