Ezra Ames

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George Clinton in a portrait by Ezra Ames

Ezra Ames (* 1768 in Framingham , Province of Massachusetts Bay , † 1836 in Albany , New York ) was an English-American portrait painter of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

life and work

Ames was born to Jesse and Bette Bent Ames in Framingham , Massachusetts . His mother died when he was seven years old and his father remarried. He and his family moved to Staatsburg , New York . Around 1790, Ezra Ames was working as a furniture painter in Worcester , Massachusetts, and began painting portraits, specializing in miniatures. In 1794 Ames married Zipporah Wood from Upton , Massachusetts, with whom he had a first child in 1795. He moved with his family to Albany , New York, where he started his own business and settled down as a sign, furniture and portrait painter. He stayed in Albany until his death in 1836, where he was one of the most famous portrait painters of his time. He was also director and, after 1834, elected president of the Mechanics and Farmers Bank and officer of the Albany Masonic Lodge. After his death he was buried in the Albany Rural Cemetery.

He was best known for a portrait of Governor and Vice President George Clinton in 1812, which was exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. In the following years he worked in Albany and western New York, portraying numerous politicians and other prominent people from New York and Albany. In total, more than 500 portraits are attributed to him.

Works (selection)

literature

  • "Ames, Ezra" Entry in Mantle Fielding: Dictionary of American Painters, Sculptors and Engravers. Modern Books and Crafts 1926, enlarged version 1974; P. 7; ISBN 0-913274-03-8

Web links

Commons : Ezra Ames  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b "Ames, Joseph Alexander" Entry in Mantle Fielding: Dictionary of American Painters, Sculptors and Engravers. Modern Books and Crafts 1926, enlarged version 1974; P. 7; ISBN 0-913274-03-8
  2. ↑ a b c d Ezra Ames at the New York State Museum
personal data
SURNAME Ames, Ezra
BRIEF DESCRIPTION English-American portrait painter
DATE OF BIRTH 1768
PLACE OF BIRTH Framingham , Province of Massachusetts Bay
DATE OF DEATH 1836
Place of death Albany , New York