Arts column: Homer captured Bermuda during a military era

Winslow Homer arrived in Bermuda on his first visit to the island in December 1899. 

He left some six weeks later in early 1900 taking roughly ten watercolours back with him. 

He returned to Bermuda in 1901 and continued his study and fascination with Bermuda’s rock formations. 

He found the faults, the striations, the texture and colouring most suitable to his palette and moods. 

His body of Bermuda-inspired work was featured at the Buffalo Exposition of 1901 and they were awarded the Gold Medal. 

The watercolour Opposite Ireland Island was offered to Masterworks at the very beginning of the Capital Campaign to build the museum, so it caused a real conundrum as to whether or not it should be pursued — but the thought of passing up the opportunity to add a third Winslow Homer watercolour to the collection was unacceptable! 

The painting was done at the height of the Boer War and there was a strong military presence on the island. In the distance is a large number of ships, many of which were used to transport the Boer prisoners of war to Bermuda where they were held on the many islands in the Great Sound- they were “concentrated’ on these islands away from their homes and families- hence the name Concentration Camp was coined. 

Tom Butterfield is director and founder of the Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art.