- Ralph Earl (artist)
Ralph Earl (
May 11 ,1751 -August 16 ,1801 ) was an American historical and portrait painter.Ralph Earl was anitinerant artist who painted at least 183 individual portraits and six landscapes, including a panorama display ofNiagara Falls .Life and work
Ralph Earl was born in either Shrewsbury or
Leicester, Massachusetts . By 1774, he was working inNew Haven, Connecticut as a portrait painter. In the autumn of 1774, Earl returned toLeicester, Massachusetts to marry his cousin,Sarah Gates . A few months later, their daughter was born; however, Earl left them both with Sarah's parents and returned to New Haven.Like so many of the colonial craftsmen, Earl was self-taught, and for many years was an itinerant painter. In 1775, Earl visited Lexington and Concord, which were the sites of recent battles in the
American Revolution . Together with engraverAmos Doolittle , he painted four of his most famous pictures, all battle scenes.Although his father was a colonel in the Revolutionary army, Ralph Earl himself was a Loyalist. In 1778, he left behind his wife and daughter and escaped to
England by disguising himself as the servant of British army captainJohn Money .InLondon , he entered the studio ofBenjamin West , and painted the king and many notables. Earl continued painting portraits in the town ofNorwich . He later marriedAnn Whiteside , an English woman, despite the fact that he had never ended his marriage with Sarah Gates. In 1785 or 1786, Earl returned to theUnited States with his new wife.After his return to America, he made portraits of Timothy Dwight, Governor Caleb Strong,
Roger Sherman , and other prominent men. He also painted a large picture ofNiagara Falls . In September 1786, while living inNew York City , Earl was imprisoned for failing to pay his personal debts. Even while in jail, he drew portraits of his visitors, friends, and family of theSociety for the Relief of Distressed Debtors . He was released in January 1788.He died in
Bolton, Connecticut , on the August 16, 1801.Alcoholism is believed to be the main cause of death.Earl was an influence on John Brewster, Jr.
Notes
References
* "Early American Paintings" (biography), Worcester Art, 2005, webpage: [http://www.worcesterart.org/Collection/Early_American/Artists/earl_r/biography/index.html WorcArt-EarlR] .
External links
* Portrait of Ralph Earl, circa 1775 (age 24): [http://www.worcesterart.org/Collection/Early_American/Artists/addimage/Earl-R.Sherman.jpgportrait-of-Earl] .
* "Early American Paintings" (biography), Worcester Art, 2005, webpage: [http://www.worcesterart.org/Collection/Early_American/Artists/earl_r/biography/index.html WorcArt-EarlR] .
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