Jean Leon Gerome Ferris

Jean Leon Gerome Ferris was an American painter and printmaker, best known for his historical scenes. Ferris was born in Philadelphia, PA and studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. He was the son of portrait painter Stephen James Ferris and nephew to Thomas, Edward and Peter Moran. Like many artists of his day, he studied extensively in Europe, returning to the US in 1900, where he settled back in Philadelphia.

Ferris is best remembered for "The Pageant of a Nation", a series of 78 paintings depicting important scenes of American history. It was the largest series of American historical paintings ever produced by a single artist.