American Folk Art - part 20

Continuing a major series on American Folk Art featuring 21 postings. Folk Art encompasses art produced by artists and ordinary folk with little or no training in the arts, and is traditionally utilitarian and decorative rather than purely aesthetic. The period I’m covering is the C18th and C19th.
See parts 1-19 also for earlier works.

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This is part 20 of a 21-part post on American Folk Art:

James Bard (1815 – 1877)

James Bard was a marine artist known for his paintings of watercraft, particularly of steamboats. His works are sometimes characterised as naïve art. Although Bard died poor and almost forgotten, his works have since become valuable. Bard had a twin brother, John (1815–1856) and they collaborated on earlier works.

James Bard and John Bard were born in 1815 in New York City. Their father was Joseph Bard, who had been born in England. Their mother was Nellie Purvis Bard, who had been born in Scotland. They had at least two brothers (Joseph and George), two older sisters (Ellen and Mary) and one younger sister, Margaret. Sometime before 1843, Bard married Harriet DeGroot, who was six years older than he was. They had six children, but between 1843 and 1856 five of them died. Only their daughter Ellen survived.

Harriet's brother, Albert DeGroot, later became a steamboat captain and a wealthy man, who commissioned a number of works by James Bard.

During his life, Bard painted or made drawings of at least 3,000 vessels, including probably every steamer built at New York during his active life as an artist. Bard's works included common features intended to please patrons. Sailboats were shown underway with all sails up. Steamboats likewise were shown underway, with numerous flags flying, including a large one bearing the vessel's name. There would often be inscriptions about the ship and its owner.

Although principally a marine artist I did come across one painting by James Bard of a horse;  a commission by the look of it:

1871 Horse Jack of Woodbridge, NJ
inscribed "This Picture The Property of Charles Drake, Presented by James Bard the Artist. NY. 1871"
oil and ink on paperboard 21.4 x 30 cm
Folk Art Museum, New York City

1831 "Fanny"
watercolour on paper 48.3 x 81.3 cm
Mariners Museum, Newport News, VA

1837 "Illinois"
watercolour on paper 56.5 x 99.1 cm
Mariners Museum, Newport News, VA

1837 "Telegraph"
watercolour on paper 47.6 x 81.6 cm
Mariners Museum, Newport News, VA

1845 "Trojan"
oil on canvas 63.5 x 96.5 cm
Mariners Museum, Newport News, VA

1846 "Thomas Powell"
oil on canvas 77.5 x 135.9 cm
Private Collection

1847 "C. Vanderbilt"  ( Cornelius Vanderbilt )
oil on canvas 71.1 x 119.4 cm
Shelburne Museum, VT

1850 "Confidence"
oil on canvas 76.2 x 127 cm
Private Collection

1850 "Reindeer"
oil on canvas 76.2 x 129.5 cm
Private Collection

1851 "America"
oil on canvas 111.1 x 160.7 cm
Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Centre, Williamsburg, VA

1851 "Thomas E. Hulse"
oil on canvas 75.6 x 127 cm
New York Historical Society, New York City

1852 "Niagara"
oil on canvas 87 x 142.9 cm
New York State Historical Association, Cooperstown, NY

1852 "North Star"
oil on canvas 106.7 x 162.6 cm
Private Collection

1853 "Austin"
oil on canvas 76.2 x 132.1 cm
National Museum of American History, Washington, DC

1854 "Lewis R. Mackey"
oil on canvas 85.1 x 132.1 cm
New York Historical Society, New York City

1854 "Young America"
oil on canvas 76.2 x 127 cm
Private Collection

1855 "Metamora"
oil on canvas 73 x 124.5 cm
Mariners Museum, Newport News, VA

1857 "Commodore"
oil on canvas 86.4 x 142.2 cm
Mariners Museum, Newport, VA

1857 "James A. Stevens"
oil on canvas 76.2 x 128.3 cm

1858 "Broadway"
oil on canvas 83.8 x 142.2 cm
New York Historical Society, New York City

1858 "Norma"
oil on canvas 76.2 x 132.1 xm
Private Collection

1858 "P. Crary" ( Peter Crary )
oil on canvas 76.2 x 127 cm
Mariners Museum, Newport News, VA

1859 "Metamora"
oil on canvas 73 x 124.5 cm
Mariners Museum, Newport News, VA

1859 "Victoria"
oil on canvas 76.2 x 127 cm
Private collection

1860 "William Bayles"
oil on canvas 81.3 x 137.2 cm
Private Collection

1861 "Isaac Smith"
oil on canvas 76.2 x 132.1 cm
Private Collection

1863 "Fanny"
oil on canvas 76.2 x 127 cm
Mariners Museum, Newport News, VA

1864 "A. Fletcher" ( Andrew Fletcher )
 oil on canvas 40.6 x 66 cm
Museum of the City of New York

1864 "Martha Washington"
oil on canvas 76.2 x 127 cm
Mariners Museum, Newport News, VA

1868 "A.G. Lawson"
oil on canvas 86.4 x 109.2 cm
Private Collection

1871 "Tidal Wave"
oil on canvas 81.3 x 121.9 cm
Private Collection

1874 "Daniel Drew"
oil on canvas 64.1 x 101.6 cm
Private Collection

1874 "San Rafael"
watercolour on paper 47 x 101.6 cm
Private Collection

1880 "Rip van Winkle"
oil on canvas 78.7 x 137.2 cm
Private Collection

1880 "Southampton"
oil on canvas 66 x 96.5 cm
New York Historical Society, New York City

1881 "Saratoga"
watercolour on paper 72.4 x 132.1 cm
New York Historical Society, New York City

1882 "Albertina"
watercolour on paper 52.7 x 101 cm
Marniers Museum, Newport News, Virginia

1882 "Crystal Stream"
watercolour on paper 62.2 x 100 cm
Mariners Museum, Newport News, VA

n.d. "Amanda Winants"
oil on canvas 75.6 x 127 cm
Mariners Museum, Newport News, Virginia

n.d. "Cayuga"
oil on canvas 91.4 x 142.2 cm
Private Collection

n.d. "Commonwealth"
oil on canvas 90.8 x 146.7 cm
Private Collection