Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1852-07-08
o. A. BULLARD.


The following brief history of the dis
tingushed Artist, Mr.. o. BrL ARD, is
taken from the American Biographical
Sketch Book, and from other authentic
sources. The Sketch Book contains the
lives Of 1873 distinguished living, selfedu-
Gated men, and in it Mr.. Bullard is properly
assigned conspicuous place, as being one
Of the noble few, in our country, who have
by their own exertions, been elevated from
adversity to a high and honorable renown.
The crownng work Of Art, by Mr. b.,
and the one which above all others is now
winning for him wide and enviable fame,
is his Panorama of New York City, Paint
ing of rare truthfulness and perfection,
which cost him four years incessant toll, and
was attended with an expense of over
sl5,OOO.
O. A. BULLARD,
Was | orn at Howard, Steuben CO., N. Y,
on the "5th of February, 1916. His pa
rents Cnne from Massachusetts, and were
among the earliest settlers of steuben CO.
When the latter died, the subject Of this
sketch was fourteen years Of age, and he
was apprenticed to the business of wagon
making and sign painting, those branches
being frequently united, in many of our
villages. His love for the fine arts was first
awakened, by the arrival of portrait paint
er in THAT place. Eager TO obtain some
knowledge Of the art, he exertcd himself to
the utmost to raise the ways and means, and
applied for instruction; but the artist re-
fused to disclose any Of his professional Sc
crcts At that period he was eighteen
years of age, and the productions of this
painter were the first oil paintings he had
ever seen. Ever afterwards his mind was
fixed upon painting, and although the way
did not then appear, an artist he was de-
termincd to become. With this view he
desired to leave his trade, for the purpose of
obtaining instructions in some of the distant
cities; but at the earnest entreaties of his
mother, who could not bear the idea Of part
ING with him, he remained. All his spend
ing money was laid out in books: but he
searched in vain for any which gave infor.
nation on painting.
At this juncturc, friend Of his, young
physician, patiently waiting, like many otf
ers, for gray hairs, to entitle him to conf
dence, agreed ito sit for his likeness He
was in his glory, as with painters pencil,
odds and ends Of brushes, and the premises
all tcchimself and his "subject,' he COM
menced his first portrait. 1t was, we pre-
sume, with some such feeling rs that OF an
orator making his debut, or general about
to fight his first battle. The portrait was
declared to be excellent, and to his gratiti-
cation it was pronounced greatly superior
to those painted by the professional artist.
All the people declared that il was like life
itself; and in truth there was no fear of his
falling into the difficulty of certain artist
who, having painted a horse, thought it
necessary, for the information of persons
not Judges of the fine arts, to inscribe un-
derneath the animal, "'rhis is a Horse"
When of age, Mr.. Bullard visited Massa-
,husetts and Connecticut, where he found
friends who gave him the requisite instruc-
tons. He then commenced business as a
portrait painter, at Hartford, where he met
with good success. During several subse-
Iuent years. he painted portraits in Massa-
,husetts, and in the western part Of the
State of New York.
In 1871, he married the eldest daug ghter
of A. A. Olmstead, Esq, and since the win
'er of lS43, he has made New York city
his permanent place of residence.
There probably is no Artist now living,
If Mr.. Billiards. age, that has labored
harder, or applied himself more closely to his
Profession, for the last fifteen years. lie
has illustrated fact that has been ilustra-
ted by great many individuals, viz: that
God gives nothing to mortals without Ia
bort is labor that produces everything.
There is no doubt of the fact that it is the
luty Of every man, more especially Of every
youno man, to find ont what Trade or Pro
fcssion God intended hir for. and then after
,scertaining that fact, to devote the whole
powers of his mind to the accomplishment
of that one object, viz: 10 ercel in that trade
or profession. 1t makes no difference
whether man shoes q horse, makes a boot
shoves the fore plane, paints picture, oi
breaches a scrmon.-whatcver he does he
should do weN. Mr.. Billiard, like all mer
who have distinguished themsol,o os. has acted
ttWe are indebted to Nessrs. Peck
ham & Davis, oi San Francisco, for a