Chester Harding

Chester Harding was an American portrait painter born on September 1, 1792, in Conway, Massachusetts, and he died on April 1, 1866, in Boston, Massachusetts. Harding was primarily associated with the American portraiture movement of the early 19th century, a period marked by a growing demand for personal likenesses among the burgeoning middle class. He gained prominence for his ability to capture the character and likeness of his sitters, which included notable figures such as James Madison and Daniel Boone. Harding's career was marked by his travels, including a significant period in England from 1823 to 1826, where he painted portraits of British nobility and expanded his reputation. His work contributed to the development of portrait painting in America, bridging the gap between the early American folk style and the more refined techniques that characterized later 19th-century portraiture.