The Studio

American artists eager to maintain their connections to adventures abroad imported European bohemianism to New York life, providing them with novel subject matter. Whether Homer painted The Studio during his eleven-month stay in Paris, or later, while in New York, this informal scene of music-making reveals a French influence in both form and content. Throughout the 1860s and ’70s, Homer occupied studios in a variety of purpose-built, all-male facilities, including the University Building on Washington Square, the Tenth Street Studio Building, and the Benedick Building at 80 Washington Square East. As part of this studio culture, he enjoyed an active social life, frequenting the Gilders’ salon and joining the Tile Club (among other artist organizations), before leaving the city for Maine in 1884.