Prisoners from the Front, Winslow Homer, 1866
Winslow Homer, portraitWinslow HomerAmerican, 1836–1910

Prisoners from the Front

1866 · Painting

Can I see it?

Yes, on view now

Where is “Prisoners from the Front” now? The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gallery 762, New York. Yes, on view now. Checked September 29, 2026.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

New York, United States

Room762

Closed· opens at 10:00 AM

On public display.

Checked
In this state since
Source
The museum

About the painting

Prisoners from the Front is an 1866 painting by American artist Winslow Homer. One of Homer's most notable early works, the painting depicts a scene in which Confederate officers surrender to Union Brigadier General Francis Channing Barlow during the American Civil War. Homer's experience as a war correspondent likely contributed to his rendering of the work.

Citing Prisoners' style, tone, and provenance, American art critic Peter Schjeldahl once called Homer's work "The most telling of all paintings about the Civil War."

Infrared photography and numerous studies indicate that the painting underwent many changes in the course of completion.

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Details

Accession number
22.207

What it shows

In the catalog

Sources

All works

In the same room · Gallery 762, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Museum page

On the same theme · Soldiers

All works on the theme