ARTIST: John Swatsley (United States, born 1937)
TITLE: Steamboat Washington
MEDIUM: oil on board
CONDITION: Very good. No visible inpaint under UV light.
ART SIZE: 14 x 12 inches / 35 x 30 cm
BOARD SIZE: 21 x 18 inches / 53 x 45 cm
SIGNATURE: lower left
NOTE: This artwork originally appeared on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the U.S. 25c Steamboat Washington stamp issued March 3, 1989. When steamboats arrived on the Mississippi, it soon became evident that they would have to evolve to meet the requirements of the river in order to be of any use. What was needed was a steamboat that would draw less water and move on the water instead of through it. The craft would need a wide, shallow hull, with heavy boilers and machinery on top of the hull rather than inside it. Captain Henry Shreve took an important step toward building such a steamboat in 1816 with the Washington. Shreve built a deck over the hull and placed the heavy boilers on this deck, and replaced the bulky, low-pressure engine with a new, high-pressure engine. Shreve also got rid of the heavy condenser that allowed the same water to be used over and over again, seeing no need to conserve water while floating on a whole river of it. Passenger accommodations were put on yet a second deck, above the boilers. The Washington could make the trip from New Orleans to Louisville in twenty-five days, an amazing feat in her time. For all her success, the Washington also had tragedy. An explosion on board during her maiden voyage blew Captain Shreve and most of his crew overboard, killing thirteen people. The captain survived to rebuild his steamboat, and the success of the Washington spurred design development. Soon other steamboats were built using the innovations she had pioneered. If any craft could be called "the mother of western steamboats," it would be Captain Shreve's Washington.
PROVENANCE: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.
CATEGORY: old antique vintage painting for auction sale online
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BIOGRAPHY:
Living in different locales, gave John a love of travel and a chance to observe nature in all its variety. This, along with seeing the work of the great illustrators at the end of the illustration era, were the early steps to a lifetime in art. After high school he was accepted by the prestigious Art Center School in Los Angeles. There he received the foundations in design and painting necessary for a professional artist. After military obligations, he enjoyed a career in magazine art direction and freelance illustrations for philatelic first day covers of new stamp issues. Winning first place in the National Forest Service Centennial stamp competition was a life-changing event, making possible the first of six trips to Africa. Those trips opened up a spectacular array of subjects, leading to a new approach in his art. From a long time use of watercolors, he moved into oils, as he felt they were better suited to the effects he wanted to achieve. "In my new work I strive for the painting to not only represent the beauty of the subjects themselves, but for the painting as a whole to stand as a work of art." John explains, "The viewer can enjoy the piece on different levels; interpretation, color, textures and a fresh approach to design". Swatsley's work shows a freedom in grouping different species together in one composition using imaginative settings that call for the viewer's own participation in the creative process. In his art, you will sense something of the mystery one feels when alone in a quiet corner of creation.