Painting, Seascape with American Ships
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Object Details
- Bonfield, George Robert
- Description
- Anglo-American marine painter George Robert Bonfield (1802-1898) was born in England; his family migrated to Philadelphia in the early 19th century, and Bonfield was apprenticed to a stonecutter (his father's trade). In his youth, he occasionally sketched at the New Jersey estate of Joseph Bonaparte, Napolean's exiled brother and former king of Naples and Spain. It was there that he had access to fine European marine paintings, which fostered his interest in the genre and influenced his individual style. Also influential was his study of the work of the prominent Philadelphia painter Thomas Birch, who focused on marine subjects for much of his oeuvre. Bonfield's work in the mid-19th century, which tended towards romantic rather than realistic treatment, was especially popular with Philadelphia merchants and shipowners, and he was active in numerous artistic societies, academies and societies. The Delaware River was a favorite background for his paintings, but the artist tended to name many of his works with generic titles that make it difficult to identify specific ships or places. His popularity declined after the Civil War.
- In the foreground is a small, open-decked gaff-rigged sailing vessel-probably a fishing boat-beached on the low tide. A crewman is leaning over the side to either take or give something to the man on the beach. Four similar craft ply the middle ground of the image. In the background are two full-rigged American ships; the nearer (larger) one has only topsails set, and the more distant vessel has no sails up and apparently is anchored into the wind. Unfortunately, the absence of any landmarks or detailed topography in this painting prevents identification of the scene.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Credit Line
- Gift of CIGNA Museum and Art Collection
- 1865
- ID Number
- 2005.0279.003
- accession number
- 2005.0279
- catalog number
- 2005.0279.003
- Object Name
- painting
- painting, oil
- Physical Description
- oil on canvas (overall material)
- Measurements
- without frame: 24 in x 36 in; 60.96 cm x 91.44 cm
- with frame: 28 in x 40 in; 71.12 cm x 101.6 cm
- See more items in
- Work and Industry: Maritime
- Cigna Maritime Collection
- Transportation
- Art
- National Museum of American History
- Subject
- Maritime
- Record ID
- nmah_1295908
- Metadata Usage (text)
- CC0
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746ab-aefd-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
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