Brief Biography-John Wesley Jarvis was born in England in 1780, the son of a mariner. He spent his early years in Philadelphia, where he trained under Edward Savage. From 1800, Jarvis made New York his base and worked at engraving, including miniature and large oil portraiture. He made long trips to various cities in America with his apprentice Henry Inman and, sometimes, Thomas Sully, a hired assistant. He became the leading portraitist in New York, painting many dignitaries. In the 1820s, however, his drinking habit got the better of him, and an apprentice sued him for breach of contract. His second wife took custody of his two children, and he, unfortunately, suffered a stroke in New Orleans. His sister in New York nursed him until he died in 1840.