Although the skyline is different now, renowned American painter Winslow Homer may have looked out at sweeping views of Belmont from the cupola of his uncle’s home, which still stands today, more than 160 years later.
It was at the 1853 William Flagg Homer House, located high atop a hill at 661 Pleasant St., that the artist created some of his more popular images. Born in Boston in 1836, he lived in Belmont from 1858 to 1859 and would return for holiday and summer visits after moving away, according to Christina Michelon, the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) Boston’s Pamela and Peter Voss Curator of Prints and Drawings.
“It was an important place for him,” said Michelon, who recently visited the Homer House with some of her MFA colleagues ahead of the opening of a new exhibit titled “Of Light and Air: Winslow Homer in Watercolor.” The show is scheduled to run at the MFA from Nov. 2, 2025, to Jan. 19, 2026.
“It’s beautiful … the interior is gorgeous,” said Michelon of the home that was saved from demolition by the Belmont Woman’s Club in 1927. “It was a thrill to walk the hallways that Winslow walked. It was wonderful to be transported to what that might have been like.”
Belmont’s Role
The club and the town have worked for almost 100 years to maintain the impressive mansion where Homer often worked.
Preservation “is a community effort. … It’s been challenging to increase public awareness” of the connection of the grand home to Winslow Homer, said Wendy Murphy, president of the Woman’s Club. She hopes the upcoming MFA show “connects the dots to our little town.”
Homer’s parents moved to Belmont in 1858, where they rented a residence near his uncle William Flagg Homer’s Italianate home, according to Michelon.
Boys in a Pasture Winslow Homer (American, 1836–1910) 1874 Oil on canvas * The Hayden Collection—Charles Henry Hayden Fund * Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (Used with permission) 
The Walker&Pratt stove in the kitchen of the Homer House. (Julie M. Cohen/Belmont Voice) 
The kitchen of the Homer House on Pleasant Street. (Julie M. Cohen/Belmont Voice) 
The library overlooks Pleasant Street in Belmont. (Julie M. Cohen/Belmont Voice) 
The Fog Warning Winslow Homer (American, 1836–1910) 1885 Oil on canvas * Anonymous gift with credit to the Otis Norcross Fund * Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (Used with permission) 
The view has changed a bit since artist Winslow Homer called Belmont home. (Jule M. Cohen/Belmont Voice) 
The arched windows are featured in the main bedroom of the Homer House. (Julie M. Cohen/Belmont Voice) 
Portrait of Miss Florence Tryon Winslow Homer (American, 1836–1910) 1868 Black and white chalk on buff laid paper with fine variegated blue and pink fibers * Bequest of Grenville H. Norcross * Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (Used with permission) 
High on its hill, the Homer House commands a great view of Belmont. (Julie M. Cohen/ Belmont Voice) 
The steep stairs up to the highest point in the Homer House. (Julie M. Cohen/Belmont Voice) 
Long Branch, New Jersey Winslow Homer (American, 1836–1910) 1869 Oil on canvas * The Hayden Collection—Charles Henry Hayden Fund * Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (Used with permission) 
The intricate tiled bathroom. (Julie M. Cohen/Belmont Voice) 
May‑Day In The Country (For Harper’s Weekly, April 30, 1859, p. 280) After Winslow Homer (American, 1836–1910) 1859 Wood engraving * Gift of W. G. Russell Allen * Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (Used with permission) 
The stained glass window overlooking the Homer House’s main staircase. (Julie M. Cohen/Belmont Voice) 
“He had very close ties to his family,” said Michelon.
The residence, now part of the Pleasant Street Historic District, was considered a “summer home,” replacing the original property on the hill that was moved (and is still located) behind the Woman’s Club, according to Murphy.
In the 19th Century, Homer’s Belmont surroundings “inspired him to keep seeking more rural and remote areas for his art,” as the years progressed, according to Michelon.
Even after he moved to New York, Homer continued to return to Belmont for visits.
Artworks with a Belmont Connection
Michelon said visitors can expect to see works tied to Greater Boston, but the MFA is still deciding which Belmont-related prints will be included.
This is the first solo show of Homer’s watercolors since the 1970s. Michelon said the rule of thumb is to only display those pieces every 10 years, “since watercolor is so light sensitive.”
Previous exhibits in the 1990s included some of Homer’s watercolors and other artists’ works, said Michelon. She said there are a few strong contenders connected to Belmont that are not watercolors that may make it into the exhibit.
Homer’s “Portrait of Miss Florence Tryon,” his cousin, was created in 1868, in Belmont, using black and white chalk on paper.
“He rarely did portraits,” said Michelon. “It’s a beautiful drawing,” gifted to the MFA in the 1930s.
While it may have been unusual for Homer to create portraits, he worked as an illustrator for Harper’s Weekly for 18 years.
“Making Havelocks for the Volunteers,” an illustration created in Belmont in 1861 during the Civil War, was featured on the publication’s cover.
The print depicts “young women gathered indoors on a summer afternoon to sew uniforms for Union soldiers. They make havelocks (cloth covers for military caps with long flaps at the back to protect the neck from the sun). … The lack of a male presence is a reminder of the men who have departed for the army and left wives, sisters, and daughters behind,” according to a Metropolitan Museum of Art description of the highly detailed image.
Another Harper’s Weekly creation titled, “Thanksgiving Day – Ways and Means,” was a wood engraving created in 1858, that tells the story of how people celebrated the holiday. In a comical scene, the word “Belmont” can be seen on a cart.
“I love that he included the specificity of Belmont … a small but meaningful detail,” said Michelon.
Another Harper’s wood engraving, “May Day in the Country,” made in 1859, could also be included. The scene featured well-dressed people on horseback on their way to Belmont with a sign on a tree featuring the name of the town.
When asked what she hoped museumgoers would come away with after seeing the exhibit, Michelon said, “I hope visitors are first kind of blown away by the degree of skill Homer had as a watercolorist.”
She also hoped viewers remembered that “even though he was very talented, it took a lot of experience and practice” to become the admired artist he evolved into.
More Information
As of May, there were no finalized plans for any MFA events at the 1853 William Flagg Homer House.
The Museum of Fine Arts Boston’s show, “Of Light and Air: Winslow Homer in Watercolor,” will run from Nov. 2, 2025, to Jan. 19, 2026. For more information, visit mfa.org/exhibition/of-light-and-air-winslow-homer-in-watercolor
