David gilmour blythe biography books

David Gilmour Blythe (May 9, 1815 – May 15, 1865) was a self-taught American artist best known for paintings which satirically portrayed political and social situations.

Early years

Blythe was born in East Liverpool, Ohio on May 9, 1815 to poor parents of Scottish and Irish ancestry.

After a childhood in a log cabin by the Ohio River, at the age of 16, Blythe moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. There he apprenticed himself to woodcarver Joseph Woodwell.

David gilmour blythe biography books

In his subsequent work as an itinerant portrait painter, Blythe traveled widely from Baltimore to Philadelphia and perhaps as far as New Orleans. Other than his stint with Woodwell, Blythe had no known artistic education or training.

Adulthood

In addition to painting, Blythe carved from poplar a large (8'2") statue of Lafayette for the Uniontown, Pennsylvania courthouse.

He also invested a great deal of time and energy painting a panorama — an early forerunner to motion pictures.

His social awkwardness and general bellicosity wer