John Sartain - Family

Family

His son Samuel Sartain (8 October 1830 – 1906) started engraving under his father's supervision, and at age 21 went into business for himself. His daughter Emily Sartain (17 March 1841 – 1927) first practised art as an engraver under her father. She studied at the Pennsylvania Academy under Christian Schussele from 1864 to 1872, and then, until 1875, with Evariste Luminais in Paris. Her engraving style is a mixture of line engraving and mezzotint. She engraved a large number of portraits for book illustration. As a painter, she devoted herself principally to portraiture, painting genre pictures occasionally. In 1886, she became principal of the Philadelphia School of Design for Women. Another son, William Sartain (21 November 1843 – 1924), born in Philadelphia, engraved under his father's supervision until he was about 24. From 1867 to 1868, he studied under Christian Schussele and at the Pennsylvania Academy. He then went to Paris, where he studied with Leon Bonnat. In 1877, he returned to the United States, settling in New York, where he was elected an associate of the National Academy of Design in 1880. He was one of the founders of the Society of American Artists. He painted both landscape and figure subjects.