Considered a leader of the White Mountain School, Samuel Lancaster Gerry was born in Boston, Massachusetts and had no formal art training. However, it is believed that he was greatly influenced by the vision and techniques of Asher B. Durand and Thomas Cole. Following travel to Europe, Gerry set up his studio in Boston, where he founded the Boston Art Club in 1854. He also made frequent trips to New Hampshire’s Lake District and its White Mountains. Gerry was a frequent exhibitor at such institutions as the Boston Athenaeum, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the National Academy of Design, the American Art Union, and the Boston Art Club.