The Adirondack Guide
Painting on paper • Winslow Homer
Style & Movement
American Realism
Medium & Technique
Watercolor and graphite on paper; employs fluid washes and blotting techniques characteristic of high-level Victorian-era watercolor painting
Creation Period
1894
Dimensions & Format
Approximately 38.4 x 54.3 cm (15 1/8 x 21 3/8 in); Landscape format
Subject Description
A lone guide in a small boat (Adirondack guide-boat) on a calm body of water, set against a backdrop of dense, wooded shoreline with prominent white tree trunks. The piece reflects the artist's obsession with the relationship between man and the wilderness.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Excellent (Museum Grade); the original is well-preserved within a professional institutional setting.
Estimated Market Value
$3,000,000 - $5,000,000 (Based on historical sales of premium Homer watercolors)
Auction Estimate
$2,500,000 - $4,000,000
Provenance History
Bequest of Mrs. Henrietta E. Raymond, 1925; currently part of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston collection.
Art Historical Significance
A seminal work in the history of American watercolor; Homer is credited with elevating the medium from a sketching tool to a finished, major art form. This piece is a key example of his late 19th-century Adirondack series.
Notable Features
The use of the white of the paper to suggest sunlight hitting the bark of the trees and the surface of the water is a hallmark of Homer's masterly control of the watercolor medium.
Condition Issues
Minor light-induced fading over a century is typical for the medium, but the work is currently stabilized under UV-filtering glass and controlled environments.
Conservation Recommendations
Maintain strict light control (below 50 lux), stable humidity (45-50% RH), and archival mounting behind museum-grade acrylic.