Natural Bridge, Bermuda

Winslow Homer

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Homer paid particular attention to Bermuda’s distinctive coastline. Formed by volcanic activity millions of years earlier, the rocky cliffs and ledges fascinated the artist. Eroded by the sea into dramatic and picturesque formations, like this natural bridge, the layers of limestone suggest ancient geological time, which will continue to be washed away through environmental change. Homer situates the landscape in his current moment by including a red-coated British soldier in the lower right corner. Perched above the bridge, he appears to be keeping watch over the ocean. In this bold composition, the artist suggests the sparkling vastness of tropical water with limpid passages of vibrant watercolor.

The American Wing

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The American Wing's ever-evolving collection comprises some 20,000 works of art by African American, Euro American, Latin American, and Native American men and women. Ranging from the colonial to early-modern periods, the holdings include painting, sculpture, works on paper, and decorative arts—including furniture, textiles, ceramics, glass, silver, metalwork, jewelry, basketry, quill and bead embroidery—as well as historical interiors and architectural fragments.

Metropolitan Museum of Art