Captain Nathan Haley
Unidentified Artist France circa 1810 Oil on canvas 75.189.1 Gift of Sarah H. Hawkes Thornton
Europe offered the best art schools in the 18th and 19th centuries. Academies in Paris and London offered world-class instruction by renowned artists, access that would not reach North America until the middle of the 19th century. Captain Nathan Haley fled the United States around 1800, eventually gaining naval commissions in France. Here, he had portraits of this wife and himself painted by a well-trained artist. The skill of the artist is evident in the quality and attention to detail seen in the face, attire, and background.