Charles Henry Gifford (1839-1904) — A Local Artist's Journey
Diane Gilbert, Guest Curator
An exhibition of his art, his life and his times in the 19th century New Bedford art scene.
Courtesy of New Bedford Free Public Library
Photo provided by ODHS, New Bedford Whaling Museum Archives
This exhibition features over 60 objects will feature art from private collections, most of which have never been exhibited publicly.
A few of C.H. Gifford’s large commissioned works will be displayed alongside his “little gems” — oils, watercolors, India ink drawings, studies and sketches.
By honoring one of our local artists, we will celebrate this unique period in our history when the city was brimming with a creative and entrepreneurial spirit, where artists were hard at work in their studios, supported by many art galleries and dealers, framers and gilders.
This was 19th century New Bedford where people, such as Capt. Thomas Nye and Dr. E.R. Sisson, gathered in salons and storefronts to discuss the issues of the day, to gossip, to enjoy and buy fine arts, and to share in the area’s economic vitality.
To tell C.H. Gifford’s story is to tell the story of artists throughout the centuries.
The muse of creativity came calling at an early age when drawing first became an obsession. He walked barefoot from Fairhaven to New Bedford to meet Albert Bierstadt in his studio above Mr. Hopkins’ music store on Purchase Street.
The life of this Fairhaven native is a timeless tale of the struggling artist destined for creative pursuits as if born to do nothing else.
Private collection
Photo by Tim Sylvia
The words of C.H. Gifford himself will guide visitors on his personal voyage of self-discovery as he reflects on his life as “an artist” through excerpts from a manuscript written in his own hand in 1901 and 1902
As we are transported back in time, we will see our region’s coastal communities through his eyes. Together we will wander to far-away places such as the British Isles by steamer. We will learn about his growth as an artist as we join him on sketching trips to coastal New England and Canada’s Grand Manan, traveling with fellow artists such as Lemuel Eldred, Edmund Rodman, and young Milton James Burns, who in 1873 had journeyed to the Arctic with William Bradford.
C.H. Gifford’s development as an artist is a universal tale of passion and achievement in spite of adversity. Battling illness in 1902, he looked back on his life, reflecting on his art of the 1870s with pride, referring to that period as the “banner years.”
This exhibition is much more than a collection of fine art. Visitors will be taken on a special journey to see the world through the eyes of a 19th century man in pursuit of his craft and his dreams.
Read artist's statement (PDF)
