How did Winslow Homer’s paintings change after his return from France?

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Winslow Homer: Breezing Up (A Fair Wind) — Winslow Homer *Breezing Up (A Fair Wind)*, oil on canvas by Winslow Homer, 1873–76; in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. 61.5 × 97 cm.

Following Winslow Homer’s return to America from France in 1867, his work did not undergo a marked transformation. While he had been influenced by French naturalism, Japanese prints, and contemporary fashion illustration during his year abroad, the most notable change in his painting style was that his palette became generally somewhat brighter.1

His post-France paintings, such as Long Branch, New Jersey (1869) and Snap the Whip (1872), continued to depict happy, everyday scenes. Although these works occasionally included a disquieting note of human isolation—foreshadowing his more powerful later works—they remained consistent with his earlier artistic direction.1