Winslow Homer is one of my favorite artists. I have a framed copy of Fog Warning in my office, and during the years I saw patients in therapy, I would often refer to it and discuss it with my clients. Before I talk about Fog Warning, I want to discuss two other works by Homer.
The Gulf Stream

What is remarkable in this work is that the man seems peculiarly unconcerned. He is not shown in despair or distress, or in panic or fear. He looks back towards where he has been, and not towards the ship that could have rescued him or towards the sharks or the storm that threatens. He is not resigned to his fate, but instead, he appears to accept it. In a sense, this painting is a metaphor for the human condition. The man's attitude might be said to represent a strength of faith or simply a strength of character. Emotionally, he is not overwhelmed by his circumstance. In real life, with similar challenges, few people can ever achieve such peace.
Breezing Up

A closer look, however, shows that they are in deep trouble and that they don't really know what they're doing. Perhaps to see that you need to have been in a small sailboat, far from shore on a windy day. With an experienced eye, what you see is that their boat is "heeled far to port with the gunwales in the water," and that the sea below them is churning. The ship in the background illustrates the strength of the wind and highlights the peril and the vulnerability of these youth. The sky is darkening, and they do not seem to appreciate the risks ahead. The available metaphor in this work involves the themes of maturity, judgment and experience, and the lack thereof among these youth.
Fog Warning

"Men who are accustomed to danger occupy a mental attitude towards it that has no room for melodramatic pose. Simple and sober, the unconscious hero of the picture turns to get the bearings of his schooner as he bends to his oars with all the steadiness of a man who has a long way to row and who must neither waste his strength in spurts nor lose his head. Small amidst the waves of the Atlantic looks his dory, far away seems the vessel, hard and cruel is the complexion of the sea."It is a metaphor for a particularly complex form of human strength and character. For an individual whose life is troubled and who sees no hope, this work is an inspiration. He is referred to as an "unconscious hero" because emotionally, he is immune to the enormity of his struggle. Instead, he is confident and determined.
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Art is a topic of study in psychology because it can speak to our deepest thoughts and most complex emotions. Enduring truths and essential wisdom can often be gleaned from our reaction to and involvement with art. It can educate and it can inspire. And sometimes, it can help us heal.Copyright, Paul G. Mattiuzzi, Ph.D.