This small and finely painted piece depicts the sidewheel steamer J.M.A. underway carrying passengers along the Hudson River. With flags snapping in the wind and whitecaps on the river, she makes a fine figure cutting through the water. The ship’s single stack and engine are prominant above her pilot house and paddleboxes.

The play of dark and light is particularly impressive giving great definition to each element of the ship. The sky fades from blue into hazy warm tones adding additional drama.

We believe this ship is named for a person with these initials, but records searches of steamships have thus far given no further clues. There were many ships and companies which carried passengers and cargo along the Hudson during this period. Samuel Ward Stanton, like James Bard before him, was known as a master of painting these ships, particularly paddlewheel steamers. Stanton published a great book of his drawings of steamships in this period. Both artists made the ships the stars of their paintings creating a romantic view that is iconically American. Sadly, Stanton would die aboard the TITANIC, his career cut short. He left behind many drawings of steamships but far fewer paintings, and it’s rare for his works in oil to come to market.