Shotgun Art
 

Spent a couple of hours this afternoon in Chattanooga at the Hunter Museum of Art. Ran across an interesting piece of 1878 art that caught my eye. Garry Gordon can probably educate us on this one. Note the skeleton steel buttplate

Seems to me the fellow using the muzzle-loading shotgun has done admirably well for himself despite not having the latest equipment.






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This exact image was also reproduced on a trade card. I have one in my collection; in tiny script on the extreme left hand bottom margin "Sunshine Pub. Co., Philadelphia" appears. The reverse side reads, "Compliments of H.E. Bailey, Corner Drug Store, Unadilla NY." Reminiscent and reminds me of the full-color Parker Bros. trade cards showing live pigeon ring shooting and other images (see pp. 843-844 of TPS).

I'm surprised no one has offered answers to the 'quiz' at the end of the 'factsheet' accompanying the painting. So, let's see what we can offer by way of answers:

Q: "What do you think this caption means?"
A: It is a diluted, underemphasized poke at the transitional period overtaking the US economy and subsequent lifestyle changes cascading down from the brink of the industrial revolution of the mid-to late 1860s - 70s. (Do Parker Bros. and Colt ring a bell"). Delivered in the best of 'asleep at the wheel' style of contemporary, artsy-fartsy journalism of the day.

Q2: "Who do you think is giving the advice?"
A 2: Obviously the "modern" hunter - notice he has no birds slung over his shoulder or on the ground at hand - probably letting his 'country cousin" know that he and his equipment (possibly a Henry Holland 6-bore or better yet a Tonks of Boston 4-bore muzzle loader) is hopelessly out of date entering the "New World" of game shooting guns. Once again, probably delivered in the tone of the jolly, beetle-collecting vernacular of Victorian England viz. the 'blood sports". (Although Earle was a thoroughly American artist).

Q3: "Who is in need of guidance?"
A3 : Seems to me the modern sport could take a lesson from the marsh homeboy, given that nice sling of geese and whatever other mixed bag he's got slung over his shoulder. Plus, he has a much better 'go-to-hell' hunting hat!

The front stuffer fellow has a look of bemused indifference.





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Earle's most well know work was the The Dutch Boy Painter which is the logo of Dutch Boy Paint.

I suppose we could juxtapose a Parker collector into this painting, comparing his double gun to say the modern hunter with a Benelli auto. Is newer always better? Are we moving from antiquated to new? Is the classical being replaced by the popular? Could we even go deeper and compare the conservative views of our population being replaced by the liberal? Are moral values being replaced by the amoral?

Yikes, Reggie, those are some significant questions! And I have no answers to any of them. I've looked at Earle's work, at least what I could find of it, and he is definitely an accomplished painter. I'll bet the painting that you saw was more of an illustration than straight out art work, but who knows(?) The fact that it was turned into a lithograph for publication in a newspaper suggests that. It would be interesting to find the paper that used the reproduction to see how it was employed.

Earle was/is not part of the mainstream art historical canon, as were hundreds of artists of merit over time. That does not mean to suggest that they were not accomplished or that their works are second rate. Many of the sporting artists we (at least I) like are not part of the canon. It makes getting good information on them more difficult.

The work definitely has a message, and I think your updated questions can certainly be inferred from the painting.

Now, how about a painting of two bird hunters, one with a Damascus barreled BHE 16 (straight/splinter, two triggers, of course) and another with a BHE 20 (0 frame) with 32" barrels meeting on the prairie of Kansas to follow a couple of Gordon setters through the fields? That would be a painting worth viewing, eh? (BTW, the first half of that painting is reality...let me know when the second is also).

Garry I am not sure the BHE 20/32" will ever make the picture, but there is a BHE 20/30", straight/splinter, double trigger choked C/M that might complete that scene!

A BHE 20/30 as described would be "picture perfect!" Better jump on it. Wild Bobs wait for no man (nor does Time).

Already did..........................:cool:

OK!!! MY BHE 16 is ready and able. Time for a prairie rendezvous? I know a place... We could make it a preliminary sketch in advance of the finished painting. Send me an email address via PM and I'll swap pictures with you when we get home (we are in Charleston at present).

The “townie” on the right is saying, “But I shot my limit with my single barrel; do you really think I need two?”

I don't see it the way they have interpreted this painting. They refer to the "old" hunter on the right. The youth on the right, the younger hunter is clean-shaven and certainly younger than the "older" hunter on the left, who has a full beard. Is the one on the right "older" because he is more experienced. I see the fellow with the double-barrel has at least three and possibly as many geese on the ground as the hunter with his day's success slung over his shoulder having finished the hunt. They are equally successful. One is poor and making do with what he has and the successful older gentleman on the left can afford newer and better.

I also see the youth admiring the newfangled double barrel breech loading shotgun as if to say one day I will have one of those, and maybe even some of those fine clothes.

I can't agree with their assessment of the painting, since anyone who calls the fowling piece a rifle and mentions one bullet compared to the shotgun which spreads shot does not know anything about the painting, guns, or hunting.

Industrial revolution? Yes for the shotgun and clothing. Perhaps a reference to the prosperity of the industrialists to the agrarian society. Maybe a nod the the carpetbaggers who came south and the poverty of the poor Southerner making do with what he has? That is why the Parker Gun was rare in my part of the South and everyone relied upon a single barrel until after WWII, but even then a Parker was out of reach. Heck, we knew everyone in the whole county who hunted with a Parker.

My 2 cents and opinion. So don't argue with it.

Maybe it's like those fishing pictures you see: the guy in waders with the fancy rod and reel offering money to the barefoot kid with the can of worms and cane pole, and a big stringer of fish?

Jerry, I associated with art historians for my entire career, and I can assure you that the number that know anything about firearms is very (very) small.

I'd definitely agree with Garry re art historians. But I will say that the best painter I knew back in the day could handle a shotgun quite well!

Must have been a house painter? :rotf:

Hmmmmm….

Nope.

I guess I should take offense at this statement (being trained as a painter), but I'd have to be a better shot for that to happen.:banghead::rotf:

BUT, how in the heck does the good Mike know how poorly I shoot?!:shock:

"His technically advanced weapon - A powerful double barrel shotgun capable of firing wide range blasts of pellets vs the single bullet used in the rifle"

I think this guy still writes for the media in describing AR style rifles. :-)

:rotf:

The man who donated this painting to the museum, owned one of the nicest Parkers I have ever handled- a smoking mint CHE 20ga 2 barrel set with original hang tags and case. Late Remington gun that was about as close to mint as one could hope for. He had good taste in guns and art.

The Probasco family were bankers. They started a bank in Chattanooga, American National Bank, that was eventually acquired by SunTrust Bank. I am shocked his Parker 20 wasn't a AAHE!