From the age of twelve and for a period of more than sixty years, James Bard was celebrated for the technically proficient, large-format oil, gouache, and watercolor paintings he made of the steamboats that plied New York’s rivers. One of the reasons for the artist’s longevity was the precise detail of the renderings he produced for his clients. He made his own measurements of the vessels, often spending at least a week taking notes before starting to draw their forms and details. He then reviewed his drawings with the ships’ owners before producing the finished work.

This small tribute to Charles Drake and his horse, Jack, is singular among Bard’s efforts, but many of the treatments associated with the ship portraits can be noted. The figure of Drake is identical to those ordinarily seen on deck in Bard’s ship paintings, and the dramatic sky, too, is a familiar element. The tiny fence, rolling green hills, and indeed Drake himself are all dwarfed by the large, handsome Morgan horse, a breed known for its strength and versatility, from hauling stagecoaches to fieldwork. Morgans also saw duty as cavalry mounts and artillery horses, and their genes contributed to the standardbred used in harness racing.

Stacy C. Hollander, "Horse Jack of Woodbridge, NJ," exhibition label for Jubilation|Rumination: Life, Real and Imagined. Stacy C. Hollander, curator. New York: American Folk Art Museum, 2012.