Gov. Benjamin T. Biggs

Jefferson Davis Chalfant (1856-1931)

ca. 1891

Jefferson Davis Chalfant began his career as a railroad car painter. He later formalized his practice and eventually opened a studio in Wilmington, Delaware in 1883. He also studied in Paris under the artists Jules Joseph Lefebvre and William Bouguereau. Their classical style is evidenced in his technique through careful rendering of details and a dedication to line. This work depicts former Governor Benjamin T. Biggs (1821-1893), who served as governor of Delaware from 1886 to 1891 and was the great uncle of Sewell C. Biggs.