Joseph Oriel Eaton


Joseph Oriel Eaton was an American painter of portraits and figure subjects, both in oil and in water-colours. His most famous work is his portrait of Herman Melville, author of the 1851 novel Moby-Dick.

Personal life

He was married to Emmaline Goodwin, great-granddaughter of John Adams, and granddaughter of John Quincy Adams. The Eatons had seven children:
A granddaughter named Margaret Camacho was married to John Stoye on November 6, 1911.

Works

Among his exhibited works were:
  • Landscape: View on the Hudson. 1868.
  • Multiple portraits of John Means of Kentucky. 1868
  • Greek Water-Carrier. 1872.
  • Lady Godiva. 1874.
  • Looking through the Kaleidoscope. 1875.
  • His own Portrait. 1875.
  • A portrait of daughter Mary at age 4.

Death and legacy

Eaton was elected into the National Academy of Design as an associate academician in 1866. He died in Yonkers, New York in 1875.