Ezra Ames, Painter

Located on the high Middle Ridge, this monument marks the grave of Ezra Ames (1768-1836).

A native of Massachusetts, Ames moved to Albany where he quickly earned a reputation as a popular portrait painter. His subjects included many prominent figures of the early 19th-century, including Joseph Brant, Alexander Hamilton, Governor DeWitt Clinton, and numerous local person of note. He produced some 700 known paintings. In addition to portraits, Ames also painted such varied objects as mirror frames, signs, carriages, and fire buckets. He was an active member of the Albany Masonic Lodge and also served as a director and, later, president of the Mechanics and Farmers Bank.