164 . JOHN GEORGE BROWN ( 1831-1913 ) “ Portrait of a Young Girl Sitting on a Stone Wall ”, oil on canvas , signed lower left Copyright J . G . Brown , N . A ., 20 in . x 30 in . Brown , born into a poor family in Durham , England earned a reputation as one of America ’ s most skilled painters of children , especially cheerful street urchins who earned a pittance as boot blacks , newspaper vendors , etc . He studied at the Royal Scottish Academy under Robert Scott Lauder , and began earning a living painting portraits at the age of 22 . He emigrated to Brooklyn and studied art at night at the National Academy of Design , and was elected a member of the National Academy of Design in 1863 .
62