Brief Biography-Thomas le Clear, from Owego, New York, began to paint when he was twelve. He painted portraits in Canada when the family moved there in 1832. Although he was primarily self-taught, he formally studied at twenty-one under Henry Inman in New York City.
He moved to Buffalo in 1860, where he taught private lessons and became associated with the Buffalo Fine Arts Academy, which he helped form along with Henry W. Rogers. After that, he spent time in New York, setting up a studio and eventually becoming a National Academician. Portraits and genre scenes were his specialities.