Earl, Ralph (1751-1801), was one of America’s finest primitive painters. His reputation rests largely on his portrait of Roger Sherman. The picture is a powerful portrayal of Sherman’s stern personality. In 1775, Earl made four paintings of Revolutionary War battles.
Earl was born in Worcester County, Massachusetts. In 1774, he was established as a portrait painter in New Haven, Connecticut. A Loyalist, he fled to England in 1777 during the revolution. In England, his style became more polished, though it never lost its flat, stiff quality. Earl returned to America in 1785.
