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Samuel Finley Breese Morse Most Popular Paintings

The 25 artworks by Samuel Finley Breese Morse our visitors ask for most, ranked by popularity and presented one by one, with the specification and the price of each hand-painted reproduction.

Edition 2026 · 25 artworks Each artwork painted to order
Linen canvas · Certificate of authenticity · Delivered worldwide Samuel Finley Breese Morse · 1791 – 1872

Samuel F. B. Morse. Self-portrait

1812 · National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C.

Samuel Finley Breese Morse's 'Self-Portrait' (1812) captures the artist as a young man, reflecting his artistic ambitions and early life amidst American cultural shifts. Explore this iconic painting.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 1 of 96 artworks by Samuel Finley Breese Morse
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17529 × 35 cm Commission this artwork

Gallery of the Louvre

1833 · Terra Fondation für Amerikanische Kunst, Chicago

A bustling 1833 scene of art lovers admiring masterpieces fills this vibrant oil painting by Samuel Finley Breese Morse, offering a nostalgic window into the Louvre that you can bring to your own collection.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 2 of 96 artworks by Samuel Finley Breese Morse
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17538 × 26 cm Commission this artwork

Reverend and Mrs. Hiram Bingham

1819 · Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven

A bronze statue depicting Morse by Byron M. Pickett honors his legacy as a pioneer of communication and artistic achievement.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 3 of 96 artworks by Samuel Finley Breese Morse
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17528 × 35 cm Commission this artwork

Alexander Metcalf Fisher (1794-1822), B.A. 1813, M.A. 1816

1822 · Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 4 of 96 artworks by Samuel Finley Breese Morse
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17528 × 36 cm Commission this artwork

Susan Walker Morse (The Muse)

A serene portrait of a woman reading on a red couch captures an elegant moment in this evocative painting by Samuel Finley Breese Morse, inviting you to bring this timeless piece of American history into your home.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 5 of 96 artworks by Samuel Finley Breese Morse
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17528 × 36 cm Commission this artwork

Eli Whitney (1765-1825) B.A. 1792, M.A. 1795

1822 · Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 6 of 96 artworks by Samuel Finley Breese Morse
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17528 × 36 cm Commission this artwork

Eliphalet Terry

1824 · original 104 x 89 cm

Samuel Finley Morse’s 1824 portrait of Eliphalet Terry showcases Neoclassical realism & formal elegance. Explore this oil-on-canvas masterpiece, rich in detail & historical significance.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 7 of 96 artworks by Samuel Finley Breese Morse
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17529 × 35 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$41889 × 104 cm Commission at original size

Mrs. David Curtis DeForest (Julia Wooster), (1795-1873)

1823 · Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven · original 88.6 x 72.4cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 8 of 96 artworks by Samuel Finley Breese Morse
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17528 × 35 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$33572 × 89 cm Commission at original size

Dr. (d.1826) and Mrs. Thomas Holman (Lucia Ruggles), (d.1886)

1819 · Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 9 of 96 artworks by Samuel Finley Breese Morse
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$20027 × 37 cm Commission this artwork

Mrs. Addin Lewis (Fanny Lewis) (1790-1832)

1830 · Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven · original 76.5 x 63.5cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 10 of 96 artworks by Samuel Finley Breese Morse
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17529 × 35 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$28964 × 77 cm Commission at original size

By Candlelight (Mrs. Jedidiah Morse [Elizabeth Ann Breese]) (1766-1828)

1820 · Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven · original 76.8 x 63.8cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 11 of 96 artworks by Samuel Finley Breese Morse
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17529 × 35 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$29064 × 77 cm Commission at original size

The Marquis de Lafayette

1826 · Art Commission of The City of New York, New York City

Admire Samuel Morse’s ‘Marquis de Lafayette,’ a neoclassical portrait showcasing refined detail & elegant composition. Explore 1826 American art history.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 12 of 96 artworks by Samuel Finley Breese Morse
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17526 × 39 cm Commission this artwork

Jeremiah Day (1773-1867), B.A. 1795, M.A. 1789

1823 · Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 13 of 96 artworks by Samuel Finley Breese Morse
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17530 × 34 cm Commission this artwork

Colonel William Drayton

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 14 of 96 artworks by Samuel Finley Breese Morse
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17528 × 36 cm Commission this artwork

Mrs. Christopher Champlin

1815 · Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, San Francisco

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 15 of 96 artworks by Samuel Finley Breese Morse
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17529 × 35 cm Commission this artwork

Jedidiah Morse (1761-1826) B.A. 1783, M.A. 1786

1820 · Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven · original 74.9 x 61.0cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 16 of 96 artworks by Samuel Finley Breese Morse
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17529 × 35 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$28061 × 75 cm Commission at original size

Jedidiah Morse (1761-1826), B.A. 1783, M.A. 1786

1810 · Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven · original 58.1 x 72.1cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 17 of 96 artworks by Samuel Finley Breese Morse
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17528 × 35 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$26958 × 72 cm Commission at original size

The Judgment of Jupiter

1814 · Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven · original 128.1 x 102.9cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 18 of 96 artworks by Samuel Finley Breese Morse
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$22528 × 36 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$582103 × 128 cm Commission at original size

Elizabeth Ann Breese Morse (Mrs. Jedidiah Morse) (1766-1828)

1823 · Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 19 of 96 artworks by Samuel Finley Breese Morse
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17528 × 35 cm Commission this artwork

Joseph Gales

1822 · original 26 x 23 cm

1822 portrait of Joseph Gales by Samuel Finley Breese Morse. Explore this realist oil painting’s somber tones & introspective style – a glimpse into early 19th-century art.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 20 of 96 artworks by Samuel Finley Breese Morse
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17527 × 38 cm Commission this artwork

Dying Hercules

1812 · Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven · original 244.5 x 198.4cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 21 of 96 artworks by Samuel Finley Breese Morse
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17529 × 35 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$1550198 × 245 cm Commission at original size

Mrs. Juliet Kahlenkamp

1829 · New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 22 of 96 artworks by Samuel Finley Breese Morse
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17529 × 35 cm Commission this artwork

Scene from Spenser’s "Fairie Queene": Una and the Dwarf

1827 · Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 23 of 96 artworks by Samuel Finley Breese Morse
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$25041 × 25 cm Commission this artwork

Dr. Thomas Fuller

original 75.25 x 62.23cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 24 of 96 artworks by Samuel Finley Breese Morse
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17528 × 35 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$28462 × 75 cm Commission at original size

Jacob Morton (1761-1836)

1833

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 25 of 96 artworks by Samuel Finley Breese Morse
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17531 × 33 cm Commission this artwork

The artist

Samuel Finley Breese Morse

1791 – 1872

Quick facts

Corpus themesclassical ideals, neoclassical ideals
Best occasionsaccent
Museums on APSYale University Art Gallery, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Toledo Museum of Art, Harvard Art Museums, New Britain Museum of American Art
Top-ranked workSamuel F. B. Morse. Self-portrait
Lifespan81 years
Movementsneoclassicism
Art period19th Century
Copyright statusPublic domain

Biography

A Life Bridging Art and Innovation: Samuel Finley Breese Morse

Samuel Finley Breese Morse, a name inextricably linked to the dawn of modern communication, was far more than just the inventor of the telegraph and Morse code. He was a gifted and ambitious artist whose canvases captured the spirit of early 19th-century America, reflecting both its burgeoning national identity and the lingering echoes of European artistic traditions. Born in Charlestown, Massachusetts, on April 27, 1791, into a family steeped in intellectual and religious fervor – his father, Jedidiah Morse, was a prominent Calvinist minister and geographer – young Samuel’s early life was shaped by a rigorous upbringing that instilled in him a deep sense of purpose. Though destined for scientific renown, his initial passion lay firmly within the realm of art. After graduating from Yale College with honors in 1810, Morse embarked on a career as a painter, supporting himself through portrait commissions while simultaneously nurturing his artistic ambitions.

Formative Years and Artistic Development

Recognizing the need for formal training unavailable in the nascent American art world, Morse journeyed to England in 1811, seeking tutelage under the esteemed British artist Washington Allston. This period proved pivotal in shaping his artistic style. Allston, a proponent of Romanticism, encouraged Morse’s exploration of dramatic compositions, expressive brushwork, and emotionally charged subject matter. Morse's early works reveal a clear debt to European masters like Benjamin West and J.M.W. Turner, yet he quickly began to forge his own distinct voice. His monumental work, The Dying Hercules, completed during this time, stands as a testament to his developing skill in anatomical precision and dramatic storytelling. More than just an exercise in artistic technique, the painting is often interpreted as a veiled political commentary – a symbolic representation of the United States struggling against the perceived tyranny of British rule and Federalist policies. The work’s powerful imagery resonated with a growing sense of American nationalism. Returning to America in 1815, Morse continued to paint portraits and historical scenes, including Landing of the Pilgrims, which further solidified his reputation as a painter capable of capturing both individual likenesses and grand narratives. This painting cleverly linked Calvinist beliefs with the shared history between Britain and America, subtly navigating the complex political landscape of the time. Judgment of Jupiter, another significant work from this period, demonstrated Morse’s ability to blend artistic skill with his deeply held spiritual convictions while expressing anti-federalist sentiments.

The Pursuit of Innovation: From Canvas to Telegraph

Despite achieving recognition as an artist, Morse found himself increasingly frustrated by the financial instability and limited opportunities available in the American art world. A turning point came during a voyage back from Europe in 1832 when he learned of recent advancements in electromagnetism. This sparked a new intellectual curiosity that would ultimately lead him down a different path – one of scientific innovation. Driven by a desire to create a faster and more reliable means of communication, Morse dedicated himself to developing a system for transmitting messages over long distances using electrical signals. He wasn’t alone in this pursuit; numerous European scientists were experimenting with similar technologies. However, Morse's genius lay in his ability to synthesize existing ideas into a practical and commercially viable system. He collaborated with Alfred Vail, who significantly contributed to the development of the now-famous Morse code – a system of dots and dashes representing letters and numbers. In 1837, he patented his single-wire telegraph system, marking a pivotal moment in communication history.

Legacy Beyond the Brushstroke

The subsequent years were marked by tireless efforts to promote and implement his invention. Morse secured funding from Congress for the construction of an experimental telegraph line between Washington D.C. and Baltimore, which successfully transmitted its first message – “What hath God wrought?” – in 1844. This demonstration catapulted Morse into national prominence, solidifying his place as a visionary inventor. While he continued to paint throughout his life, his artistic endeavors increasingly took a backseat to his work on the telegraph and transatlantic cable projects. He faced numerous legal battles over patent rights, but ultimately received international recognition for his contributions to communication technology. Samuel Finley Breese Morse passed away in New York City in 1872, leaving behind a legacy that extends far beyond the realm of art. He was a member of both the American Antiquarian Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, acknowledging his multifaceted achievements. His paintings remain as compelling testaments to his artistic talent, while his invention revolutionized communication, forever altering the course of human history. Today, Morse’s artworks can be found in prominent museums such as the New York Museum of Art and are also memorialized at Green-Wood Cemetery in New York City, a fitting tribute to a man who bridged two seemingly disparate worlds – art and innovation.

Questions & Answers

Where can I see the color profile of Samuel Finley Breese Morse's work?

The color profile of Samuel Finley Breese Morse's work is shown on the artist's Palette Genome page.

What aliases or alternate names does Samuel Finley Breese Morse have?

Samuel Finley Breese Morse is also known as Samuel F. B. Morse, Samuil Morze, Samuel Finley Breeze Morse, Brutus, S. F. B. Morse.

How is Samuel Finley Breese Morse's career divided into periods?

A chronological account of Samuel Finley Breese Morse's work is available on the artist's Chronicle page, where the artworks pass in order of creation, chapter by chapter.

By the ArtsDot.com Editorial Team Updated Sept. 1, 2026

Collector's quiz

Samuel F.B. Morse is best known for two significant achievements. What are they?
What was a possible political interpretation of Morse's masterpiece, 'The Dying Hercules'?
In what year was Samuel F.B. Morse born?
Which of the following artworks by Morse depicted connections through Calvinist beliefs?
Besides his artistic and inventive pursuits, Morse was a member of which societies?

one You choose the size

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two We paint and send a preview

A photo of the finished canvas for your approval before it is shipped.

three Delivered, certified

Rolled, stretched or framed, insured, with a certificate of authenticity.

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