Breezing Up (A Fair Wind) was the original title of the oil painting of Winslow Homer, painted from 1873-1876. Homer began this painting from a watercolor sketch he had done, when visiting in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Choosing the sketch which most resembled the outcome he desired, he re-painted the sketch in oils, changing the composition somewhat, and was inspired to redesign the watercolor sketch by the scenes of the Massachusetts coast.

Depicting life on a breezy day on the coastal waters, the painting is rich in color, shadowing, and detail. Its Japanese influence is shown by the compositional balance Homer used, with the left half being more active, and very little focal content on the right. A man and three boys are shown, enjoying the waves of the ocean, on their catboat, the Gloucester. The boat has one sail, and the boy manning the till is so relaxed, that he is managing to steer with one hand.

The oil painting differs from Homer's previous watercolor in that he removed a fourth boy, and a second schooner off in the distance to the right. The relaxed atmosphere makes it evident that the white-crested waves are not a bother to any of the boaters, who are just enjoying life on the water. The anchor in the bow of the boat, which replaced the fourth boy, represents hope, and the way in which the boaters are looking off toward the horizon, is symbolic for optimism, or great expectations for the future.

Improve the look of your space by hanging a Winslow Homer painting Breezing Up. Today this painting has been carefully recreated detail-by-detail to near perfection as a complete canvas art reproduction. Why settle for a print when you can add sophistication to your rooms with a beautiful fine gallery reproduction oil painting? Why not grace your home with this reproduced masterpiece? It is sure to bring many admirers!