John Gadsby Chapman (December 3, 1808 – November 28, 1889) was an American artist famous for ''

Baptism of Pocahontas The United States Capitol rotunda is the tall central rotunda of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. It has been described as the Capitol's "symbolic and physical heart". Built between 1818 and 1824, the rotunda is located below the ...

'', which was commissioned by the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...

and hangs in the

United States Capitol rotunda The United States Capitol rotunda is the tall central rotunda of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. It has been described as the Capitol's "symbolic and physical heart". Built between 1818 and 1824, the rotunda is located below the ...

Life and career

John Chapman was born in 1808 in

Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city in the northern region of the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of downtown Washington, D.C. In 2020, the population was 159,467. ...

. Chapman began his study of art in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

for two years, then departed for Europe where he eventually spent time in Italy. In 1831, Chapman returned to his hometown of Alexandria, and exhibited his artwork in the nearest metropolitan areas, such as Washington, D.C., Richmond, and Philadelphia. He specialized in landscapes and portraits. By 1834, Chapman had moved to New York City and become a member of the

National Academy of Design The National Academy of Design is an honorary association of American artists, founded in New York City in 1825 by Samuel Morse, Asher Durand, Thomas Cole, Martin E. Thompson, Charles Cushing Wright, Ithiel Town, and others "to promote the f ...

, and found work as an illustrator. In New York, Chapman embarked on a series of historical paintings, such as ''Landing at Jamestown'' and the ''Crowning of Powhatan''. The success of these paintings helped Chapman land a commission from the

in February 1837 to paint a historical scene for the rotunda of the Capitol building. For this work, Chapman received a total payment of $10,000. On November 30, 1840, ''Baptism of Pocahontas'' was formally unveiled in the Capitol rotunda. Besides historical paintings and portraits, Chapman also produced wood engravings and etchings, and frequently contributed illustrations to Harper Brothers' publications. Chapman's ''American Drawing Book'', published in 1847, became a standard text for art students. On the swell of these successes, Chapman moved his family to Rome, and made an earnest living selling paintings of rural

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to American visitors. However, at the onset of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

, the tourist industry dried up, affecting Chapman's fortunes greatly. In addition, Chapman's own son,

Conrad Wise Chapman Conrad Wise Chapman (February 14, 1842 – December 10, 1910) was an American painter who served in the Confederate States Army from 1861 to 1865. Early life Conrad Wise Chapman was born in Washington, D.C. and grew up in Europe where h ...

, returned to America to fight on the side of the

Confederate States of America The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...

. The economic deprivation inflicted on Chapman during the 1860s became insurmountable. In Rome, he was forced to live off the kindness of fellow expatriates, and finally returned to America, sick and poor, to spend his last days with another son, John Linton Chapman, in

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

. It was there, in 1889, that he died a pauper.

Publications

*''The elements of art: a manual for the amateur, and basis of study for the professional artist''

References

Chapman Family Correspondence and Other Documents
MSS 48
Special Collections & Archives
UC San Diego Library.
Library of Virginia biography of John G. Chapman and his son, Conrad Chapman.
* ttp://www.chapmanfamilies.org/BIO/bio_johngadsby.html Chapman Family Association

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chapman, John Gadsby People associated with the United States Capitol 1808 births 1889 deaths 19th-century American painters American male painters People from Alexandria, Virginia American expatriates in Italy Painters from Virginia Davy Crockett American history painters

Life and career

Publications

References

Further reading

External links