Hauling in the Nets

Winslow Homer

National Gallery of Art

This painting shows two fishermen in a small red boat on the ocean. The fishermen appear to be pulling up two large nets that have been cast over either side of the boat, and they are looking to the left. They wear clothing in shades of blue and brown and large hats with wide brims. Their facial features are not visible, but they have peach-toned skin. There appears to be a round barrel in the back of the boat behind the two fishermen. The water around the red boat is filled with low waves painted in shades of blue and gray. The sky above is painted in similar shades, with the dark outlines of a few birds flying by. The horizon line is about halfway up the painting, and the brushstrokes are visible and fluid.