William Simpson (portrait artist) facts for kids

Portrait of Bishop Jermain Wesley Loguen (1835) by William Simpson

William H. Simpson (c.1818 – 1872) was an African American artist and civil right activist in the 19th century, known for his portraits.

Biography

William Simpson was born c.1818 in Buffalo, New York to an African American family. He apprenticed with British–American Neoclassical portraitist and miniature painter, Matthew Henry Wilson (1814–1892). In 1854, Simpson moved to Boston where he became known for his portrait paintings. He is known for his portraits of Jermain Wesley Loguen, a former slave who became bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in New York. Other subjects of his portrait paintings include Caroline Loguen, the wife of Jermain Loguen; Charles Sumner, the abolitionist and statesman; and John T. Hilton, the abolitionist, author, and businessman.

After 1866, Simpson moved back to Buffalo, New York, and also lived throughout the Northern part of the United States and Canada. His painting style and aesthetic was influenced by European painting, which was common at the time for American artists.

His work is included in public museum collections including at Howard University Gallery of Art.

See also

• List of African-American visual artists