Reference in 1866 News Article

The source of the information about this never before known auction of Homer works came from an archived news article found by researcher and art dealer Alfred Harrison (San Francisco 1988) in preparation for the above mentioned Homer Civil War exhibit (1.3). The news article, dated April 19, 1866, was from the New York Evening Post reporting on art for sale at the auction house of Miner & Somerville. Of important note is that the archived article described only one Homer painting in detail, all others, including Watching the Shot, were listed by their original titles only. Sally Mills in her chronology of Homer’s early career reports; Titles of works exhibited between 1859 and 1866 that presumably have Civil War subject matter, but which cannot now be associated with known paintings: Cabbage Garden [exhibited at the Artist’s Fund Society, November 1864]; Watching the Shot [auctioned by Miner & Somerville, 19 April 1866]; On the Picket Line [auctioned by Miner & Somerville, 19 April 1866];  At Rest [auctioned by Miner & Somerville, 19 April 1866; appears again for sale at the Utica Art Association in Utica, N.Y., in 1867] (1.4).