The Bard Brothers Painting America Under Steam And Sail

"The Bard Brothers: Painting America Under Steam And Sail," Hardcover, ISBN 0810912406

Publisher: Harry N. Abrams / The Mariners' Museum, 1997. Brand New, Unread Copy, shrinkwrapped in Perfect Condition.

Summary: Nineteenth-century Americans fixed on a new romantic icon: the steamboat. None were more fascinated by the ships than twin brothers John and James Bard, who began, in 1827 (at the age or 12), to produce a pictorial chronicle of the steamboat era. Working for owners, captains, ship builders, and anyone who would commission a portrait of a vessel, the self-taught artists produced thousands of stunning "naive" paintings that have long been prized by museums and collectors alike. This volume, which accompanies a traveling exhibition of paintings and drawings assembled by The Mariners' Museum of Newport News, Virginia, celebrates the brothers' unique achievement.

Synopsis: In 1827, at the age of 12, twin brothers John and James Bard began to compile a pictorial chronicle of America's steamboat era. Working for owners, captains, shipbuilders, and anyone who would commission a portrait of a vessel, these self-taught artists produced thousands of precise and colourful paintings. This volume, the result of a collaboration between the Mariners' Museum and Anthony J. Peluso Jr, celebrates their achievement. Peluso, an authority on the Bard brothers and on steamboat history, has tracked down many Bard paintings and investigated what little is known about the brothers.

About the Author: The Mariners' Museum's extensive collection of paintings by John and James Bard formed the basis of the 1997 exhibition, The Bard Brothers: Painting America Under Steam and Sail. Anthony Peluso, Jr. is the leading authority on the work of the Bard Brothers.