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Native Hut at Nassau
Winslow Homer American
Not on view
Homer first arrived in Nassau, the capital city of the Bahamas, with his father in December 1884. He was lured to the area, then a British Crown colony, by the tropical climate and pictorial possibilities. After settling into his luxury hotel, Homer explored the Black settlements outside the city. This watercolor of a Bahamian residence reveals a mix of African and European architectural traditions that reflects the hybrid cultures of the Caribbean and the legacy of slavery, which had been abolished there in 1838. By concentrating on picturesque details that he believed would appeal to viewers in the States—the thatched roof, the lush foliage (including a soaring coconut palm), a rooster, and a bright blue, cloud-filled sky—Homer aestheticized the structural racism and economic difficulties faced by Black Bahamians.
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