William James Hubard facts for kids
William James Hubard (1807 – February 1862) was a talented artist. He was born in England but spent most of his life working in the United States during the 1800s. Hubard was especially good at creating silhouettes and painting portraits of people.
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Early Life and Art
William James Hubard came to the United States from England in 1824. He was still quite young, only about 17 years old.
The Hubard Gallery
In 1825 and 1826, when Hubard was around 18 or 19, he set up a special art show in Boston, Massachusetts. It was called the "Hubard Gallery" and was located at Julien Hall.
Newspapers at the time were amazed by his work. They reported that his gallery had many different pictures. These included portraits, animal groups, landscapes, and even funny drawings. The amazing part was that he made all of them using just a simple pair of scissors! People sometimes thought his scissor-cut art looked like paintings.
One newspaper wrote that Hubard was very skilled. He could create an accurate profile (a side view of someone's face) in just 25 seconds. He did this without any special machines.
A local person named John George Metcalf visited the gallery in 1825. He wrote in his diary about how amazing it was. He mentioned that Hubard used black paper cut into all sorts of shapes. These shapes were then pasted onto white paper. Metcalf was surprised that Hubard, who was only about 15 at the time, could create such detailed scenes. He saw famous buildings like Westminster Abbey and even historical figures like Napoleon and Benjamin Franklin, all made with scissors. The gallery also had fun scenes with musicians, beggars, and animals.
Life in Richmond
Hubard later moved to Richmond, Virginia. There, he married Maria Mason Tabb. Her family was wealthy and lived in nearby Gloucester County. In Richmond, Hubard also became good friends with Mann S. Valentine, II. Valentine was a big supporter of Hubard's art and helped promote his work.
On January 14, 1853, Hubard received a special permission. The Virginia General Assembly gave him the only license to make bronze copies of a famous statue. This was the marble statue of George Washington made by the French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon. Hubard started making these bronze copies in 1856. He ended up creating a total of six of them.
Later Life and Legacy
In February 1862, William James Hubard sadly died in an accident. He was in Richmond making supplies for the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. The accident happened because of an explosion.
Today, you can find Hubard's artwork in several important collections. These include Historic New England, the Smithsonian, and The Valentine museum in Richmond.
Selected Works
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Profile of a man, 19th century (Brooklyn Museum)
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Margaret Oliver Colt and Mary Devereux Colt in the Gardens at "Green Mount," Baltimore, 1830 (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston)
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Portrait of Andrew Jackson, engraving after painting by Hubard, c. 1830s
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Portrait of John Marshall, c. 1832
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Mann S. Valentine and the Artist, 1852; the face of Hubard is visible at the left. (The Valentine, Richmond, VA)
