Who’s Who Project: Daniel Huntington

January 19th, 2017

Who’s Who Project: Daniel Huntington

        There has been many very successful artist during the 19th century, many of them have contributed a lot in the art industry for the United States. Among all of them is Daniel Huntington the artist also known as Daniel P. Huntington (October 4th, 1816 – April 19th, 1906).

        We all know that he is an American artist, he was born in New York City and is the son of Benjamin Huntington, Jr. and Faith Trumbull Huntington. His paternal grandfather was Benjamin Huntington, delegate at the Second Continental Congress and first U.S. Representative from Connecticut. He painted historical and inspirational works, landscapes and over a 1,000 portraits, including presidents and first ladies.

        When he was fourteen years old, Daniel Huntington entered Smith's Academy at New Haven and a few years later became a student at Yale College, where he studied with Samuel F. B. Morse in 1835 and later with Henry Inman. From 1833 to 1835 he transferred to Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, where he met Charles Loring Elliott, who encouraged him to become an artist. After graduating from college, Daniel Huntington studied under Samuel Morse who was then president of the National Academy of Design and this is one of the thing that make me so interested in him, the fact that he studied with Morse but then later became Morse’s pupil. Huntington mostly memorizes Morse the artist, so rather than Morse the scientist, he enjoyed a productive sixty-year career as a successful and versatile artist. He first exhibited his work at the National Academy of Design in 1836. After that, he had a trip around Europe starting 1839 when he traveled to England, Rome, Florence and Paris with his companion Henry Peters Gray. On his way returning, which is 1840, his allegorical painting “Mercy’s Dream” brought him fame and showed his interests in inspirational subjects. Around 1846, he spent most of his time to portrait-painting. He actually painted many genre even religious or historical subjects. He came to England and stayed there from 1851 to 1859. He was the third president of the National Academy of Design from 1862 to 1870 and again in 1877-1890.

        He often likes to travel abroad during his long-term career. He was always sketching during his travel throughout Italy, England and Spain and the fact that he’s into travelling makes me feels relatable, as I like to travel but for me instead of drawing and sketching, I’d usually write more often. He also takes a particular liking in painting Chocorua while visiting the mountains. He was often in the White Mountains and created many sketches there. At Jackson, he got a studio shared with many associates and was maintained by Samuel Colman. Among all those associates were some big names like George Loring Brown, Frank Henry Shapleigh, Asher Brown Durand, and Aaron Draper Shattuck. Also did you know? He was also interested in ancient religious art besides inspirational historical figures. Back then in New York, he became one of the city’s leading painters. Later in 1849, a group of his supporters proposed an exhibition of his – and basically was the first one-man show in the city for a living artist.