Robert Spear Dunning

Robert Spear Dunning (1829 - 1905) was a co-founder and leader of the Fall River School of still life painting. As a boy he was employed in a Fall River mill. Later he worked in coastal shipping while studying art. About 1865 he began to focus on still life paintings, although he also made frequent trips to New Hampshire to paint landscapes. In 1870 he founded the Fall River Evening Drawing School. Bright colors and detail characterize his style.