Frank Henry Shapleigh

Frank Shapleigh was an American landscape painter best known for his detailed and atmospheric depictions of the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Born in Boston, he studied at the Lowell Institute of Drawing before enlisting in the Union Army during the Civil War, serving from 1862 to 1863. After the war, Shapleigh studied art in Paris under Emile Lambinet, then returned to Boston to establish his studio. In 1866 he first visited the White Mountains, which became the primary subject of his work. He painted Mount Washington and other notable peaks from numerous vantage points, often recording exact locations on the backs of his canvases, creating an invaluable visual record of the region. Shapleigh built a home and studio in Jackson, New Hampshire, where he spent most summers. In addition to New England, he painted in Florida, California, and Europe. From 1877 to 1894, he served as artist-in-residence at Florida’s Crawford House, wintering at the Ponce de Leon Hotel.