Robert Walter Weir

Robert Walter Weir was a distinguished American painter and influential art instructor who left his mark through his long painting and teaching careers and by fathering a number of talented artists—such as Julian Alden Weir (1852-1919)—among his sixteen children. Born in New Rochelle, New York, Weir studied art in New York before traveling to Italy for further study and training. He returned to the city in 1827 and joined in the city's artistic life. In 1834 he was appointed to teach drawing at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. Weir is best known for his history paintings.