George Fuller (1822-1884) of Deerfield, Massachusetts, was an accomplished artist of the 19th century. He studied art in his twenties and thirties and had studios in Boston and New York City. On the eve of the Civil War, he spent three winters in Georgia and Alabama working as an itinerant painter. Upon returning to Deerfield in 1858, Fuller reported to his brother that his portraiture business in the South had slowed due to an economic depression. Fuller mentioned that he had used his extra time to make sketches of enslaved people and intended to spend the upcoming summer painting them. Other portions of his letter referred to his father’s poor health. Following his father’s death the next year, George toured Europe for six months before returning to Deerfield to marry and take over the family farm. He spent the remainder of his life farming and painting in his home studio, while also maintaining a studio in Boston.
Fuller, George. Letter to Augustus Fuller from brother George regarding African American painting. May 16, 1858. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://staging.americancenturies.org/collection/l05-121/. Accessed on August 24, 2025.
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