Frost, A.B. "Bad Luck"

A.B. Frost. "Bad Luck." From Shooting Pictures.

New York:  Charles Scribner & Sons, 1903.  15 3/4 x 10 3/4.  Chromolithograph by Armstrong & Co, Boston.  Professionally removed from backing board and conserved.  Very good condition.  Bennett: American Color Plate Books, 44. 

Arthur Burdett (A.B) Frost is the most loved member of the school of American sporting artists that appeared towards the end of the nineteenth century.  His range of subjects included hunting, fishing, golf, and archery.  Born in Philadelphia at the middle of the nineteenth century, Frost grew up watching and participating in the sports he documented, becoming one of the greatest illustrators of sports in America.  His work captured the feeling of the sports, and included accurate details.  He is well known for the numerous drawing which appeared in books and illustrated newspapers, such as Harper’s Weekly, but Frost’s most desirable and rare prints are the twelve chromolithographs from the portfolio entitled Shooting Pictures.  Originally sold by subscription, each of the six parts included two prints and two text sheets.  Also included were three pen and ink illustrations of shooting incidents, executed by Frost.  The original subscription was limited to 2500 copies, but due to its size and cumbersomeness, many of the portfolios were broken up, the prints often being framed for display.  Frost’s images are full of character, tense excitement and accurate detail.  The use of the lighter, French-style of chromolithography enabled the prints to capture the warmth and richness of the original watercolors.  These are wonderful examples of American sporting prints from the end of the nineteenth century.