James Fairman (American 1826–1904)

<p>An article in the&nbsp;<em>London Art Journal</em>&nbsp;in 1880 had said of John Fairman&rsquo;s work, &ldquo;his paintings have &lsquo;the solar look,&rsquo; and are like Wordsworth&rsquo;s scenes of childhood, &lsquo;appareled in celestial light&rsquo;.&rdquo;</p> <p><a href="https://www.bedfordfineartgallery.com/james_fairman_benevolent_guardian.html" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">19th century artist James Fairman</a>&nbsp;was born in Glasgow, Scotland. In 1832, after his father&rsquo;s death, young Fairman&rsquo;s mother moved the family to New York City. At the age of 16, he was employed as a bookbinder for Harper &amp; Brothers publishing, in Manhattan. His goal was to become an artist and toward that end he enrolled in art classes at the American Academy of Design.</p> <p>He was lured to England in 1851 by the Great Exhibition at the Grand Crystal Palace in London, England. According to Gerald M. Ackerman in his book, American Orientalists, Fairman claimed &ldquo;that the quality of English painting was a revelation to him&rdquo;.</p> <p>He was involved in Abolitionist movement, which revealed his talent for public speaking, a skill which served him later. Fairman fought with the Union Army during the Civil War, was wounded during the Battle of Fair Oaks, and mustered out in 1863.</p> <p>He set up a studio in New York City and pursued art as a full-time profession. Having a both a strong personality and opinions, his paintings were sometimes withdrawn from Academy exhibitions because of his disagreements with how they were to be hung.</p> <p><a href="https://medium.com/@bedfordfineartgallery/james-fairman-american-1826-1904-5f615a7242ce"><strong>Learn More</strong></a></p>
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