Chester Harding (painter) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chester Harding
Harding, c. 1860 – c. 1865
Born	(1792-09-01)September 1, 1792 Conway, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	April 1, 1866(1866-04-01) (aged 73) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Alma mater	Philadelphia Academy of Design
Spouse(s)	Caroline Matilda Woodruff ​ ​ (m. 1815; her death 1845)​

Chester Harding (born September 1, 1792 – died April 1, 1866) was an American painter. He was famous for painting portraits of important people in the United States and England. He painted many presidents and other well-known figures of his time.

Early Life of Chester Harding

Chester Harding was born in Conway, Massachusetts, on September 1, 1792. He was one of twelve children. His parents were Olive Smith Harding and Abell Harding. He grew up in the wild areas of New York State. Chester was a very tall and strong young man, standing over 6 feet 3 inches.

When he was fourteen, his family moved to Caledonia, New York. From a young age, he had to support himself. His first job was making things from wood, like furniture.

Chester Harding's Painting Career

Harding's self-portrait, c. 1843, at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

During the War of 1812, Chester Harding was a drummer in the army. After the war, he tried many different jobs. He worked as a chair-maker, a traveling seller, an inn-keeper, and even a house-painter. He also painted signs in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

He worked as a house painter for about a year. Then, he met a traveling portrait painter. This meeting inspired him to try painting portraits himself. He painted a simple portrait of his wife, and he was very excited by his success. From then on, he decided to become a full-time portrait painter.

Harding's portrait of James Madison, 1829.

Chester Harding painted several portraits in Pittsburgh. Then he moved to Paris, Kentucky. There, he painted 100 portraits in just six months, earning $25 for each one. He made enough money to attend art schools at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia. After his studies, he set up his studio in St. Louis. He also traveled around, painting portraits wherever he went.

In August 1823, he traveled to England. He opened a studio in London and spent three years there. He became very successful, painting members of the royal family and important noble people. Even though he didn't have much formal education or social experience, he became very popular in London.

When he returned to the United States in 1826, he settled in Boston, Massachusetts. He lived in a famous house in Beacon Hill, Boston, which is now known as the Chester Harding House. He stayed there until 1830. In 1845, after his wife passed away, he visited England again for nine months.

After his second trip to England, he lived in Springfield, Massachusetts. He often spent his winters in St. Louis or in cities in the southern United States. In 1828, he was honored by being elected into the National Academy of Design. He also wrote a book about his life called My Egotistography.

Famous Portraits by Chester Harding

Chester Harding painted many of the most important people of his time. Some of the famous figures he painted include:

• James Madison (a U.S. President)
• James Monroe (a U.S. President)
• John Quincy Adams (a U.S. President)
• John Marshall (a Chief Justice)
• Henry Clay (a famous politician)
• Daniel Webster (a U.S. Senator)
• Daniel Boone (a famous American explorer)

Chester Harding is the only known artist who painted Daniel Boone while he was still alive. His very last painting was a portrait of General William Tecumseh Sherman, a famous Civil War general.

Chester Harding's Family Life

Portrait of his grandson, Chester Harding Krum.

On February 14, 1815, Chester Harding married Caroline Matilda Woodruff. They were married near Caledonia, New York. Chester and Caroline had nine children together.

Interestingly, two of their sons fought on opposite sides during the American Civil War:

• Chester Harding Jr. (1827–1875) became a general for the Union Army.
• James Harding (1830–1902) became a general for the Confederate States Army.

Other notable children include:

• Mary Ophelia Harding (1818–1892), who married John Krum, who was the Mayor of St. Louis.
• Margaret Eliot Harding (1823–1908).
• Horace Harding (1828–1899), who was a civil engineer.

Caroline, Chester's wife, passed away on August 27, 1845. Chester Harding died in Boston on April 1, 1866. He is buried in Springfield Cemetery (Springfield, Massachusetts).

Chester Harding's Grandchildren

Chester Harding had several notable grandchildren through his son Horace:

• William P. G. Harding (1864–1930) became the head of the Federal Reserve and president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
• Chester Harding (1866–1936) was the Governor of the Panama Canal Zone from 1917 to 1921. Later in his life, he also became a well-known portrait painter, just like his grandfather.

Portrait Gallery

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  Daniel Boone (unfinished), 1820.

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  Daniel Boone, 1820.

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  Eben Rollins, c. 1822.

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  Daniel Webster, c. 1823 – c. 1833.

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  Loammi Baldwin, Jr., 1823.

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  Elizabeth Murray Robbins (Mrs. Edward Hutchinson Robbins), 1827

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  Sarah Stanton Blake (Mrs. Joshua Blake), c. 1827.

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  Stephen Van Rensselaer, 1828.

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  Charles Carroll, c. 1828.

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  James Monroe, 1829.

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  Harrison Gray Otis, 1833.

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  Nicholas Brown, Jr., 1836.

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  Thurlow Weed, 1843.

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  Benjamin Pickman, c. 1843.

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  George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen, 1847.

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  Katherine Bigelow Lawrence (Mrs. Abbott Lawrence), c. 1855.

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  U. S. Senator James Lanman