The New York Painter

Magazine Antiques, Nov, 2001 by Remi Sprig

THE NEW YORK PAINTER James Freeman (1808-1884) is the subject of a forthcoming catalogue raisonne. Freeman enrolled in classes at the National Academy of Design in New York City in 1826 and became an academician in 1833. In 1836 he traveled to Europe to study art, spending the greater part of his time in Italy.

Upon his return to the United States he settled in Albany New York, where he painted portraits and genre scenes. In 1841, having received a commission to become the American consul to the Papal States, he moved to Rome permanently, periodically returning to the United States. Freeman was well known for his depictions of Italian peasants, especially children, and for his two volumes of published memoirs.