The Cotton Pickers
Painting on canvas • Winslow Homer
Style & Movement
American Realism
Medium & Technique
Oil on canvas with visible brushwork and glazing
Creation Period
1876
Dimensions & Format
24.125 x 38.125 inches (61.3 x 96.8 cm); landscape format
Subject Description
The composition depicts two African American women in a cotton field in Virginia. One woman looks down at the cotton bolls while the other looks off into the distance, reflecting a sense of inner life and resilience in the post-Civil War Reconstruction era. The narrative explores the transition from slavery to sharecropping.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Excellent; well-preserved original surface with typical age-related craquelure
Estimated Market Value
$25,000,000 - $40,000,000
Auction Estimate
$20,000,000 - $35,000,000
Provenance History
Purchased from the artist by a British collector in 1876; remained in a private collection in England for nearly a century before being acquired by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in 1977.
Art Historical Significance
A pivotal work in 19th-century American art, marking Homer's departure from sentimental genre scenes to a profound, dignified representation of African American subjects. It is considered one of his most important works from his Virginia period.
Notable Features
Distinctive use of naturalistic light and a muted, atmospheric palette; the heroic, monumental treatment of the figures which elevates the status of the rural laborers.
Condition Issues
Stable fine-line craquelure consistent with age; possible minor darkening of varnish over time.
Conservation Recommendations
Maintain strictly controlled humidity and temperature; UV-filtered glazing for display; periodic professional inspection of the varnish layer.