History:This is a life-size portrait with the subject in a standing position. His right arm is extended to his right, where there is a draped column. His left arm is bent at the elbow with his forearm and hand extending across his chest to his left lapel. In the right foreground, there is a desk that is almost completely draped except for one corner with the Seal of the State of TN. This painting was commissioned by the state legislature in 1866 for $1000.
Notes:William Ganaway Brownlow (1805-1887) was trained as a carpenter at age 18, and licensed by the Methodist Church (1826). He became a controversial journalist in the 1830s, editing The Whig from several East TN cities. The Parson was arrested in 1861 for his "Treasonable" pro-Union editorials. He became Governor of Tennessee (1865-1869) and served as U.S. Senator (1869-1875). He was known as the "fighting parson."
