Photo: Camille Knop
The Hudson River Steamboat “Francis Skiddy”
James Bard (American, 1815–1897)
1859
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions36 3/8 × 64 1/8 inches
CreditAnonymous Gift, 1958
Accession Number58.32.3
This painting’s meticulous detail and lengthy inscription that James Bard placed on the painting celebrates and documents the handsome vessel. The artist specialized in “ship portraits” his entire career, working near the Manhattan piers to be close to potential clients. The Hudson River is the backdrop that Bard frequently chose, and, here, he embellishes the Francis Skiddy with a painting within a painting—a miniature view of the Hudson Highlands on its paddlewheel box.
SC Hudson River Museum
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