1899 Golden Age Illustration By Milton Burns. Scandinavian Winter Scene. Signed

For sale is an 1899 Golden Age Illustration By well regarded American illustrator Milton James Burns (1853 - 1933) In the late 19th century Burns was considered one of the finest illustrators in the country. This may have been done while he was on an exploratory expedition as an artist Here he depicts a Scandinavian scene with nomadic peoples engaged in various activities. The central scene depicts a reindeer pulling a Sami sled as other goes about daily chores outside of a Scandinavian lavvu (teepee) tent. We believe it to be in northern Norway but we are unsure. In the distant one can see the brightness of the northern lights dancing in a starry night sky. The painting is signed by the artist in the lower left corner Dated “99” (1899) The painting is gouache on paper laid down to paper board Condition: image is overall good. The paper, which is laid down, has a loss on the left margin edge (see pic) and some scattered edge fraying along top margin as seen in pictures. The paperboard support is damaged along the edges. Will mat and frame in relatively well. Measurements: Illustration Board - 13 1/4” x 19 1/2” (Approximately) Image - 10 3/4” x 16 7/8” Milton James Burns (1853 - 1933) From the 1870s-90s, Milton J. BURNS was one of America"s best known marine artists and a prolific illustrator. Burns was one of the few marine artists who was truly a life-long sailor. His first venture at sea was with William Bradford on the master"s famous 1869 Arctic Expedition Therafter, Burns dedicated himself to marine art and spent most of his life as an adventurer. In 1871, he and a group of fellow "bohemians" founded the Salmagundi Club. He sailed constantly, first along the Maine coast where he was one of the earliest painters at Monhegan Island and Grand Manan (1880); then frequently to the Grand Banks and North Sea, doing illustrations for Harper's, London Graphic, Century, Literary Digest and others. Man in Boat, oil on canvas, signed and dated '85 lower right, 11He also lived among the fisherfolk of England, France, Norway, the Canadian Maritimes, Gloucester, the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, and the West Indies. In 1881, S.G.W. Benjamin wrote in Century about a daring two-week winter voyage sailing on the high seas with Burns in a pilot boat. During the 1880s he was one of the renowned illustrators of the America"s Cup series. Burns was a friend of Winslow Homer, and it is likely that Burns inspired the master"s famous painting, "Lost in the Fog on the Grand Banks" (1885-86). In 1879, Burns helped rescue two fisherman lost in the fog off the Grand Banks and his illustration of the incident was reproduced as a wood engraving in Harper"s Weekly (Nov. 22, 1879). He also exhibited a painting of the same title at the NAD in 1881, 6 years before Homer"s masterpiece. Burns was also the good friend of Frederic Remington, E.A. Abbey, Gilbert Gaul and many other famous illustrator-artists. Around 1896-98, he was in partnership with Fred Pansing in the lithography business. Ever the adventurer, he saved Wilfred Grenfell in the arctic (the medical missionary known for the rugs produced by his mission). When they became lost in a blizzard and were starving and freezing, Burns shot a polar bear to ensure their survival. From 1915-on, he lived aboard his sloops, the "Zanana" (in Edgewater, NJ) and the "Sarah" (in Yonkers, NY) moored on the Hudson River. He also spent many of his summers on Monhegan Island. Clearing the Track - On the Banks in a Fog.Signature note: Beginning in the 1870s, his trademark signature featured the tail of the "s" in a flourish, underlining the name. Some drawings are signed with the "B" only. Some references have mis-listed him as Michael Burns.