Samuel Colman, "Storm King on the Hudson ," 1866, oil on canvas, 32 1/s x 59'l's in. , National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institution . Gift of John Gellatly . Courtesy Alice and Hamilton Fish Library, Garrison, NY.
Samuel Colman ( 1832-1920) produced richly colored , boldly patterned works , such as his " Storm King on the Hudson" masterpiece of 1866 (above) . John Frederick Kensett's (1816-72) paintings faithfully and artfully record the scope and character of Hudson Highland contours against beautifully painted skies . George Inness (1825-94) was influenced during his career by the French Barbizon painters, whereafter his landscapes became more mystical , impressionistic: a complete departure from his earlier highly detailed work . A painter's painter! And of course , the formidable prowess of Frederick Edwin Church (1826-1900) in his ability to capture every essence of the natural scene. His painted vistas of Catskill sunsets were brilliant. It was during a visit to the New York Historical Society in 1960, when that museum still had a large marine gallery hall, that I first saw paintings by James Bard. Being primarily vesseloriented myself, I was fascinated to find a painter who obviously had felt similar aesthetic attractions to the colorful steam-
boats. Here was a ship portrait painter who had spent a lifetime (1815-97) recording contemporary New York-area watercraft. Employing a direct, unschooled style of precise broadside renderings , Bard captured the architectural detail of his subjects to the fullest degree possible. And while his paintings display ' 'primitive' ' characteristics, they invariably succeed in delighting the eye of the viewer with their picturesque charm , while also providing an historically accurate document. The greatest body of Bard's output depicted Hudson River steamboats, usually the result of his being commissioned by their proud builders, owners or masters. He also produced a smaller number of portraits of schooners , sloops and yachts. During the early years of his career, James painted in concert with his twin brother, John Bard . Paintings thus jointly produced bore the signature J. & J. Bard. After 1849 James carried on singly in this work and produced many of his finest portraits over the next four decades. Succeeding Bard were other marine artists of importance who documented commerce on the Hudson River. Painter-his-
John F. Kensett, "View on the Hudson at Dobbs Ferry." Shelburne Museum , Shelburne VT. Courtesy Alice and Hamilton Fish Library.
24
SEA HISTORY, AUTUMN 1985