American Hunting Scenes: “An Early Start”

After Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait
American, 1819-1905

Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait painted this scene in 1863 and Currier & Ives immediately purchased the canvas from the artist for $200. It was then copied onto a lithograph stone to produce prints for the mass market. The central figure with the rifle is a self-portrait of Tait. Next to him is Captain Calvin Parker, a long-time guide for the artist when he explored the Adirondacks. In the canoe in the background are James B. Blossom, a good friend of Tait's, and another guide.

By 1850, a philosophy that advocated close communion with nature as a way to "heal from the discord of the urban environment" had emerged in the United States. Currier & Ives produced more than 100 prints that celebrated and encouraged the enjoyment of the outdoors.

Date: 1863

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