Ralph Earl does not have an image.

Ralph Earl

(1751–1801)
Ralph Earl grew up in Lancaster, Massachusettes, and by his early 20s was turning out portraits of prominent local citizens as well as depictions of Revolutionary War battle scenes. He did four drawings of the battles of Lexington and Concord. He was a Loyalists, and he was forced to leave Connecticut for England in 1778. His wife, whom he had married four years earlier, and two children were left behind. In London, Earl did many portraits and exhibited at the Royal Academy; but, perhaps feeling that he was no competition for the European masters, he returned in 1785 with his second wife. Although a fondness for alcohol and an indifference about debts landed him in jail in New York for a brief spell, he emerged to become a successful portraitist who traveled throughout Connecticut painting many well-to-do business and civic leaders. At the height of his powers, his work showed an elegance and sophistication unmatched by his New England contemporaries.