Edwin Tryon Billings facts for kids

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Edwin Tryon Billings (1824-1893), also known as E.T. Billings, was a talented artist. He was famous for painting portraits of people in the 1800s in the United States. He lived in different cities like Montgomery, Alabama, and Boston, Massachusetts. Some of the important people he painted include Daniel Webster, William Lloyd Garrison, and Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr..

Life of a Portrait Painter

E.T. Billings was born on November 20, 1824. His parents were Ira Billings and Eunice Tryon, who lived in Massachusetts.

Early Life and Travels

Billings spent time living in different places. He lived in Montgomery, Alabama, off and on between 1850 and 1859. He also lived in Worcester, Massachusetts, around 1854 to 1856.

He first visited Worcester in 1854. While there, he painted many important people from the city. These included John Davis, who was a governor of Massachusetts, and Stephen Salisbury. His paintings were displayed in public places. You could see his art in buildings like the Worcester County Courthouse.

Working in Boston

In the 1860s, Billings moved to Boston. He worked in a special building for artists called the Studio Building. He stayed there from about 1864 to 1891.

Billings showed his art in big exhibitions. In 1874, he displayed paintings like "Child and Kitten" and "Children and Rabbits." His work was also shown at the National Academy of Design in 1887.

Family and Friends

Billings married Frances E. Keller in 1867. He had friends who were also artists, like George Fuller. They even traveled together in the southern United States.

Famous People Painted by E.T. Billings

E.T. Billings painted many well-known people during his career. Here are some of his portrait subjects:

Images for kids

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  Portrait of W.L. Garrison, 19th century (New York Historical society)

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  Portrait of O.W. Holmes Sr., 19th century

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  Portrait of Charles Gideon Putnam, MD, c. 1860s (Historic New England)

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  Portrait of Daniel Webster, 19th century

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  Portrait of Isaac Adams, 19th century