Frederick R. Spencer Enter a
feeling, not
a gallery.
Choose a mood and the room itself answers — the light cools or warms, the air changes pace, and only the works that carry that feeling step forward from the dark. Everything else recedes into shadow.
Frederick R. Spencer
Early Life, Family and Artistic Training Frederick R. Spencer was born on 7 June 1806 in Lenox, New York. He grew up in a household led by his father, General Ichabod Smith Spencer, who worked as a lawyer and served as the first postmaster of Canastota. The young boy's interest in the visual arts began to take shape when he was fifteen. He spent time observing an exhibition of portraits by Ezra Ames, an encounter that left a lasting im
pression on his developing eye. His early training was a matter of gradual discovery and informal guidance. After making his first attempts at portrait painting at the Middleboro Academy in Utica, he caught the attention of William Dunlap. This connection provided him with informal lessons that helped shape his early understanding of the craft. He spent time sketching the casts at the American Academy of the Fine Arts, learning the ph…