William H. Beard

William Holbrook Beard began his career as a portrait artist. He became famous for his animal paintings and the display of his keen sense of humor. His stories of human foibles told with rabbits, foxes, monkeys and especially bears found a wide and appreciative audience. Not content to work only within that popular format, Beard attempted more serious genre such as "Lo, the Poor Indian," which proved to be one of his most popular paintings. The subject was inspired by a verse from Alexander Pope's famous "Essay on Man."

William H. Beard Images:
Dancing Bears
The Bear Dance
The Bulls and Bears in the Market, 1879