Copying paintings was a common strategy employed by 19th century artists as a form of development during their early period of study, before they ventured out to create their own unique art work. However, even copying and producing such an oil painting would have been a challenge for young J. Ottis Adams. Adams started his early education in Franklin and Shelbyville and was studying at Martinsville High School when he completed this painting at 16. In the 1860s, students in high school rarely had access to oil painting materials and framing tools. However, Adams’ artistic gifts were noticed by his high school teacher. His hand-crafted maps caught the teacher’s attention, and the teacher provided resources for him to further develop these gifts. Since this painting was completed before the 1869 Indiana State Fair, the common assumption that Adams was first inspired to be an artist by the works of William Merritt Chase that he encountered at the State Fair is probably inaccurate. In fact young Adams had been developing his artistic skills at least two years before he saw William’s paintings.

J. Ottis Adams, Map of Amity, Indiana, c. 1865,

photo credit: J. Ottis Adams Research Collection (M010), IMA Archives, Indianapolis Museum of Art

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