Henry Inman

Henry Inman's father was a brewer from England who settled near Utica, New York. In 1801, the future artist was born there, where he grew up and later attended school. In addition to his classical schooling, Inman received his first art and drawing lessons there from an itinerant portrait painter. After the family moved to New York in 1812, he continued his study of drawing. His most important training, however, began two years later when he was accepted for a seven-year apprenticeship by John Wesley Jarvis, the leading portrait painter in New York at the time. During his apprenticeship with Jarvis, Inman accompanied him on several painting trips, most notably to New Orleans. He quickly acquired the basic knowledge of painting and soon assumed responsibility for the backgrounds and draperies of his master's works. He learned to paint fine miniatures and soon after produced his first large oil portrait. So when his apprenticeship ended, he was more than ready to start his own career. Inman settled in New York and in 1822 married Jane O'Brien, with whom he would have 6 children. Although he himself had only recently studied, he soon took on students. In addition to his popular portraits, he began to paint occasional genre paintings. He also incorporated his painting style, which was influenced by the Catholic faith, into his landscapes.