Francis Augustus Silva - A life

Abstract

[Excerpt] In a review in The New York Times of an exhibition of his work, Francis Augustus Silva (1835 – 1886) was termed a “capable minor league” artist (Johnson 36). Although his works are still respected by experts, his is not a household name with the more artistically-minded public. His paintings, however, exhibit careful attention to detail and his treatment of light was such that it was viewed as a “means of expressing feeling – or sentiment” (Baur 1018). This biographical essay does not expect to push Silva into the fine arts’ major league; it aims instead to probe into the circumstances and events surrounding his life and examine how they influenced the man and his art.[...]