Horse Jack of Woodbridge, NJ18718 3/8 x 11 7/8 "
Frame: 15 x 19 1/8 x 3/4 "Oil and ink on paperboardGift of Ralph Esmerian2005.8.170Portrait of a horse with man and dog. 1545093348P1.2001.068James BardPaintingsThe American Folk Art Museum believes this work to be in the public domain."This picture is the property of Charles Drake presented by James Bard the artist New York 1871."New YorkNew YorkUnited StatesNew YorkeMuseum - Collection HighlightsPaintingsNew York
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.
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated with new research. Records are reviewed and revised, and the American Folk Art Museum welcomes additional information.
To help improve this record, please email photoservices@folkartmuseum.orgHorse portrait in Tillou collection, Where Liberty Dwells, # 81.portraitP1.2001.06818711871 2005 8 17 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.
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated with new research. Records are reviewed and revised, and the American Folk Art Museum welcomes additional information.
To help improve this record, please email photoservices@folkartmuseum.orgHorse portrait in Tillou collection, Where Liberty Dwells, # 81.portrait