Edward William J. Savage (1761-1817) Edward William J. Savage, born November 26, 1761, in Princeton, Massachusetts, stands as a pivotal figure in the annals of American art history—a painter and engraver who defied convention and achieved remarkable renown despite lacking formal artistic training. His journey began with a practical apprenticeship as a goldsmith, honing skills that would later translate into masterful engraving techniques, yet his true vocation resided in capturing the human form through portraiture. Savage’s career unfolded against the backdrop of burgeoning neoclassical ide…