William Matthew Prior was one of the most complex and influential 19th-century portrait painters. He was a follower of the religious leader William Miller (who prophesied the end of the world in 1843) and was an ardent opponent of the institution of slavery in the United States. Prior also claimed to have clairvoyant powers that allowed him to paint portraits of departed persons he had never seen. He is best known today for the development of a price scale whereby one could buy a large quickly painted, inexpensive portrait, or a more carefully painted example for more money. Prior's influence on other artists was extensive; he led the Prior-Hamblin school, a group of portrait painters bound by family ties and partnerships, who painted in his style. (http://poulwebb.blogspot.nl/2016/11/american-folk-art-part-14.html) William Matthew Prior (May 16, 1806-Jan. 21, 1873); American folk artist known for his portraits, particularly of families and children. The son of Captain William, a shipmaster, and Sarah Bryant Prior, Prior was born in Bath, Maine. He completed his first portrait in 1823, at the age of 17, after training under Charles Codman, another Maine-based painter. In 1840, Prior moved to East Boston, Massachusetts from his native Bath with his in-laws, notably fellow painter Sturtevant J. Hamblin, to invigorate his career as an artist. The paintings of Prior and Hamblin, when unsigned, are so similar in style as to be indistinguishable, and are commonly attributed to the "Prior/Hamblin School". He was a follower of the preacher William Miller, who prophesied that the end of the world was imminent. Prior wrote 2 books about Miller's teachings, The King's Vesture (1862) and The Empyrean Canopy (1868). About 1,500 portraits are attributed to Prior. Prior died on January 21, 1873 and was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in Everett, Massachusetts. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Matthew_Prior) undefined

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