Harrison, Mark Robert 1819 - 1894
artist, b. Hovingham, England. He migrated to the U.S. with his parents in 1822, and studied painting in America and England. In 1849 he moved to Oshkosh, where for a time he operated a steamship line with his brother. This venture proved unsuccessful, and in 1852 he moved to Fond du Lac where he made painting his life's work. He painted chiefly neo-classical dioramas on mythical, religious, and historical themes, and considered the mammoth painting "Cleopatra's Triumph" his best work. He later painted a number of portraits of Wisconsin pioneers and also did Indian scenes and paintings based on Longfellow's romantic poem "Hiawatha." He lived and painted in Fond du Lac until his death. P. Butts, Art in Wis. (Madison, 1936); W. A. Titus, Hist. of the Fox River Valley ... (3 vols., Chicago, 1930); Fond du Lac Daily Reporter, Dec. 6, 1894.
The Wisconsin Historical Society has manuscripts related to this topic. See the catalog description of the Mark Robert Harrison Photographs of Paintings for details.
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[Source: Dictionary of Wisconsin biography]