born Nov. 26, 1807, Setauket, N.Y., U.S.
died Nov. 19, 1868, Setauket
U.S. painter.
He was apprenticed at 17 to his older brother as a sign painter. After studying drawing at the National Academy of Design, he painted historical subjects, but he later turned to genre painting and achieved immediate success with such works as Rustic Dance After a Sleigh Ride (1830). His portrayals of country life, affectionate and humorous without being sentimental, are a valuable record of his time. He was one of the first and most notable U.S. genre painters.