Undertow
Winslow Homer, 1886
Two women dragged from the surf. Rescuers lean against the pull. The sea is not a backdrop. It is the other wrestler.
About this work
Undertow is an 1886 oil by Winslow Homer in the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Two women, pulled by a treacherous current, are hauled toward the shore by two male rescuers; one man raises a hand to his head as the four struggle through the surf. According to the Clark, Homer saw a scene like this near Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 1883 and based the picture on that real event. The museum also points out how much danger the bathers faced: women's swimwear then was a full-length wool dress that became very heavy when wet, and most women were never taught to swim. The Clark holds several of Homer's pencil studies for the figures. Homer moved to Prouts Neck on the Maine coast in 1883, and Undertow is one of the monumental sea pictures he painted there in the mid-1880s, alongside Eight Bells. His figures in it have been described as having "the weight and authority of classical figures." The strength of the swimmers is plain, and so is its limit against the ocean. Sterling and Francine Clark acquired the painting in 1924.
Sources: Clark Art Institute: Undertow · Wikipedia: Winslow Homer
Print facts
- Native resolution
- 10,186 × 6,339 px
- Sharp at 150 ppi up to
- 67 × 42 in
- Sizes
- Small (20 × 12 in) · $100 · 509 ppi
Medium (24 × 15 in) · $150 · 423 ppi
Large (36 × 22 in) · $300 · 283 ppi - Price includes
- Frame and US shipping · 14–21 days · 30-day returns
FAQ
Where can I buy a framed print of Undertow?
Here. Undertow is available as a framed print in three sizes: Small (20 × 12 in) for $100, Medium (24 × 15 in) for $150 and Large (36 × 22 in) for $300. Prices include the frame and US shipping; delivery takes 14–21 days, with 30-day returns.
What size works best for Undertow?
The file is 10,186 × 6,339 px, so every size is sharp: even Large (36 × 22 in) prints at 283 ppi. Choose Large (36 × 22 in) for a large wall; Small (20 × 12 in) suits a narrower space.
Is it legal to print Undertow?
Yes. Undertow is in the public domain: its copyright, if it ever had one, expired long ago. In the United States a faithful photograph of a public-domain painting does not create a new copyright (Bridgeman v. Corel, 1999), so the image can be printed and sold freely.
