A Life in Providence Thomas Young lived and worked within the quiet, industrious atmosphere of Providence, Rhode Island. Born in 1765, he emerged during a formative era for the young American republic, a time when the need for formal likenesses was growing alongside the social structures of the New England coast. His presence in the local art scene was defined by a steady, professional commitment to the art of the portrait, capturing the likenesses of those who shaped the community during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. His practice was characterized by a dual focus on the…