Francis A. Silva: Sunrise, Barnegat Beach, New Jersey (1875)

Born the son of an immigrant barber in New York City, Francis Augustus Silva never received formal training as an artist. He displayed talent at an early age, exhibiting ink drawings at the age of thirteen and setting up his first studio at twenty-three. He served in the Union army during the Civil War before returning for his first exhibit of paintings. Based in New York City, his painting frequently featured scenes from Boston, Cape Ann, Narragansett Bay, the Hudson River, New York City, and New Jersey. He died in 1886 at the age of 50.