Edward Ludlow Mooney
Born in New York City, Edward Ludlow Mooney studied at the National Academy of Design and also worked as a sign-painter. At 23, Mooney became a pupil of New York's foremost portrait painter, Henry Inman, where he honed his skills in the art of portraiture. Mooney was the first recipient of the Academy's gold metal and was elected an associate of the Academy in 1839 and an academician in 1840. Mooney was a successful and celebrated portrait painter of the eminent men of his day including Commander Oliver H. Perry, New York Governor William H. Seward, and Achmet Ben Aman, the commander of the Imam of Muscat's frigate "Sultan." Working primarily in New York, Mooney spent his winters in the south where he also painted leading members of southern society.