I gained was invaluable. Speculation is uncertain and puts the marine artist worth his or her salt in an uncomfortable position, despite being able to claim “artistic license.” With enough research, however, assumptions can be made that carry more weight. For me, this translates into confidence that what I’m representing on canvas has documentary merit.
Detail from the computer models. Three-dimensional graphics software allows me to rotate and zoom in on sections of the boat or house, providing me with views from multiple angles.
The Manor House
Livingston’s residence along the shores of the Hudson River was a revelation. Here is where Travis Bowman’s input was particularly helpful. The historic house that currently exists at the Clermont Historic Site was not the structure occupied by the Chancellor in 1807. His house, at that time, was a classic federal-style building with symmetrical wings. The remains of this house can be seen near the entrance of the present-day parking area. Travis introduced me to numerous photos of Arryl House, as it was called, and also provided me with the plans for the building. With his help and these resources, I was able to build a credible reference model of the structure.
A Moment in Time
In the final painting (see page 30), we view the steamboat and manor house from a slightly elevated point of view on the morning of 18 August as the boat is departing Livingston’s estate, bound for Albany to the north. The passengers are rested and ambling about the deck. Captain Andrew Brink is at the tiller, as Robert Fulton makes last-minute adjustments at the steam controls. The paddlewheel blades rhythmically splash through the placid surface of the Hudson River, and a late summer mist hangs in the air as the steamboat makes its way up the river and into the history books. Livingston’s original house, just over 100 miles north of Lower Manhattan, was burned by the British during the Revolutionary War in 1777. The second house was completed in the 1780s. Called New Clermont, it was later renamed Arryl House. It was destroyed by fire in 1909. Len Tantillo is a licensed architect who left the field of architecture in 1986 to pursue a career in the fine art of historical and marine painting. Since that time, his work has appeared internationally in exhibitions, publications, and film documentaries. Born and raised along the banks of the Hudson River, he has produced more than 300 paintings and drawings of New York State history. He is the author of four books, and the recipient of two honorary degrees. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Marine Artists. In 2016 he was elected a Fellow of the New York Academy of History. You can learn more about his work on his website, www.lftantillo.com. The new painting is featured here courtesy of the collection of Howard Cox, a descendant of Robert Livingston. 32
SEA HISTORY 163, SUMMER 2018