Salt Kettle, Bermuda

Winslow Homer

Watercolor over graphite on wove paper

National Gallery of Art

Salt Kettle, Bermuda is a luminous watercolor over graphite on wove paper executed by Winslow Homer in December 1899 during a six-week sojourn to the British Crown colony of Bermuda. The composition depicts a curving shoreline framed by emerald-green vegetation, two-story white limestone buildings reflected in calm azure water, pale boats drawn up on the beach, and a brilliant cloud-filled sky — capturing the distinctive architectural and natural character of the island with Homer's characteristically fluid, confident brushwork. Homer (1836–1910), one of the foremost painters in nineteenth-century American art, was celebrated above all for his marine subjects and his mastery of the watercolor medium, which he employed to document working vacations in New England and the tropics. The Bermuda watercolors represent the height of his late career in the medium, praised for their spontaneous informal compositions, vibrant color, and assured handling.