Anatomy of a Painting- John Henry: Captain Dabney

Hi,

On the left is a photo of Captain Dabney, who according John Garst, helped organize the competition between John Henry and the steam drill.

The photo is taken of Dabney in 1857 almost 30 years before the contest with John Henry.

I decided to paint Dabney standing next to the steam drill operator. I used the photo as a basis for my portrait.

(click to enlarge)