Skip to main contentBiographyWilliam Dunlap was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey in 1766. When he was twelve, an injury caused him to lose vision in his right eye, which forced him to end his formal schooling. However, he soon took up drawing and pastels, and at age sixteen, he began using oil paints for portraiture; shortly after, he went to London to study with Benjamin West. He returned to the United States in 1787, this time settling in New York, to take up portrait painting again. In about 1813, after a period of painting primarily in miniatures, he took up oil painting again and received commissions for portraits all over America, from upstate New York to Virginia to Boston to Philadelphia, and even some in Montreal.
Dunlap also painted several religious and historical subjects, but the location of these paintings is now unknown. He was a member of the American Academy of Fine Arts from 1816 until his death in 1839, serving for a time on the board of directors. He also helped found the National Academy of Design in 1826, and held executive positions in the organization.
Dunlap’s career as a painter was intercut with several periods of time in which he pursued other interests and projects. He was also a playwright who opened two major theaters in New York City, and is considered to be the first American art historian. He wrote History of the Rise and Progress of the Arts and Design in the United States, which was published only five years before he died.
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for William Dunlap
William Dunlap
American, 1766 - 1839
Dunlap also painted several religious and historical subjects, but the location of these paintings is now unknown. He was a member of the American Academy of Fine Arts from 1816 until his death in 1839, serving for a time on the board of directors. He also helped found the National Academy of Design in 1826, and held executive positions in the organization.
Dunlap’s career as a painter was intercut with several periods of time in which he pursued other interests and projects. He was also a playwright who opened two major theaters in New York City, and is considered to be the first American art historian. He wrote History of the Rise and Progress of the Arts and Design in the United States, which was published only five years before he died.
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