Early Life, Family and Training William Sartain was born in Philadelphia on November 21, 1843. He was born into a lineage of makers; his father, John Sartain, was an artist, and his sister, Emily Sartain, would also establish herself as an artist. This familial environment provided a direct, technical entry point into the visual arts. After completing his studies at Central High School in Philadelphia, William Sartain began a practical apprenticeship in the family trade. He learned the use of the burin from his father, a skill that grounded his later, more expansive painterly pursuits in a r…