Shepard Alonzo Mount 1804-1868 was the brother of William Sidney Mount, the well-known American genre scene painter. Shepard Mount began his career as a carriage painter in New Haven, Connecticut, before attending the National Academy of Design in New York to refine his techniques. After school, the two Mount brothers entered into a portrait painting business together but soon parted ways. Shepherd became an itinerant portrait painter. He traveled widely, completing portrait commissions as he went & painting nature still lifes & larger landscape scenes, as well.
Between 1829 & 1860, Shepard exhibited over 100 works at the National Academy of Design. He is known than his brother; because he did not leave diaries & letters behind like his more famous brother, William. However, Shepard wrote poetry throughout his life, which offers some insight to his family life & personality. After his death in 1868, his work was all but forgotten until Albert D. Smith, director of the Heckscher Museum in Huntington, Long Island, put together a one-man show of his work in 1945.
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