Joseph H. (J. H.) Davis

inscribed along the bottom in ornate calligraphy, David York, Aged 42 March 8, 1837 / Hannah York Aged 37, November 7, 1837

The "Left-Handed Painter" J. H. Davis was most likely born in Limington, Maine, in the first decade of the 19th century. He made his career and reputation as a watercolor artist, traveling through rural towns and villages in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. He is known for creating small-scale watercolor portraits of the inhabitants of those towns, which have long been prized for their charm, refinement and decorative qualities.