Thomas le Clear
Thomas Le Clear was born in Owego, New York in 1818. He sold his first paintings, at the age of 12. He began to follow art professionally before he had had any instruction. He continued to teach himself by studying the painting by other artists. He painted portraits in Canada, before moving to New York City in 1839,. There he studied for several years under Henry Inman. Le Clear was a founding member of the Buffalo Fine Arts Academy.